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Bob  Duncan 


or  hunters  across  the  state, 
August  marks  a  familiar  an- 
nual event — the  Virginia  Out- 
door Sportsman  Show.  Held 
every  year  during  the  sizzle  of 
summer  (this  year,  August  8- 
10),  founder  Hugh  Crittenden 
proudly  reminds  me  that  this 
is  their  25th  shovi^.  And  many 
of  us  in  the  Department  have  been  to 
every  single  one! 

The  sportsman  show  signals  to  all 
comers  that  we  have  crossed  that  magi- 
cal line  and  officially  entered  pre-hunting 
season.  For  me,  crossing  that  line  repre- 
sents a  spiritual  lift.  It  is  the  anticipation 
of  the  season  and  the  anticipation  of  "all 
that  may  come"  that  carries  me  through 
the  rest  of  the  year. 

The  sportsman  show  kicks  Virginia 
sportsmen  and  women  into  high  gear.  It 
reminds  us  that  we  need  to  prepare:  to 
consider  our  equipment  needs;  to  sight- 
in  our  firearms;  to  purchase  our  licenses 
(and  maybe  one  for  a  newcomer — an  ap- 
prentice). While  there,  consider  stop- 
ping by  the  Hunters  for  the  Hungry 
booth  and  making  a  $2  donation  to  a 
most  worthy  cause. 

At  the  show,  your  mind  starts  racing 
about  all  the  hunting  seasons  around  the 
comer:  dove  during  the  first  week  of 
September;  then  goose  and  teal;  then 
bow  seasons  in  October;  then...  You 
know  them  as  well  as  I  do. 

It  thrills  me  to  report  that  2008  of- 
fers the  most  liberal  bag  limits  of  recent 
years,  anywhere. We  have  quality  deer  in 
every  county  across  the  state.  We  have 


wonderful  bear  and  turkey 
populations.  Rabbit  and  squir- 
rel numbers  are  up. 

This  very  good  forecast 
should  bring  plenty  of  foot 
traffic  to  the  sportsman  show. 
As  a  special  tribute,  disabled 
veterans  who  hold  a  valid 
hunting  license  wUl  be  admit- 
ted at  no  charge  on  Saturday.  According 
to  Hugh,  it's  just  one  small  gesture  to  un- 
derscore his  appreciation.  We  are  each 
indebted  to  these  fine  patriots  for  their 
service  to  this  country. 

I've  been  touched  to  learn  about 
many  organizations  across  Virginia  reach- 
ing out  to  returning  soldiers.  More  and 
more  people  are  recognizing  the  need 
for  support  and  responding  in  amazing 
ways.  Folks  are  making  time  to  take  veter- 
ans out  to  the  woods  and  waterways,  to 
make  hunting  and  fishing  opportunities 
available.  Local  chapters  of  the  Virginia 
Deer  Hunters  Association,  the  NWTF's 
Wheelin'  Sportsmen,  Project  Healing  Wa- 
ters, and  others  are  sponsoring  special 
hunts  for  disabled  veterans  that  demon- 
strate our  respect  and  compassion. 

For  me  personally,  sharing  in  their 
anticipation  and  their  excitement — 
which  is  greatest  of  all — cannot  be  cap- 
tured in  words.  These  brave  men  and 
women  are  making  remarkable  adapta- 
tions to  do  the  things  that  you  and  I  take 
for  granted  every  day.  They  are  getting 
out:  They  are  hunting  and  fishing  and  en- 
joying the  outdoors.  With  your  help  and 
encouragement,  they  will  do  so  again 
come  September 


Mission  Statement 

To  mani^e  Virginia's  wildlife  and  inland  fish  to  maintain  optimum  populations  of  all  species  to  serve  the  needs  of  the  Commonwealth; 
To  provide  opportunity  for  all  to  enjoy  wildlife,  inland  fish,  boating  and  related  outdoor  recreation  and  to  work  dihgently  to  safeguard  the 
rights  of  the  people  to  hunt,  fish  and  harvest  game  as  provided  for  in  the  Constitution  of  Virginia;  To  promote  safety  for  persons  and  prop- 
erty in  connection  with  boating,  hunting  and  fishing;  To  provide  educational  outreach  programs  and  materials  that  foster  an  awareness  of 
and  appreciation  for  Virginia's  fish  and  wildhfe  resources,  their  habitats,  and  hunting,  fishing  and  boating  opportunities. 

Dedicated  to  the  Conservation  of  Virginia's  Wildlife  and  Natural  Resources 

VOLUME  69  NUMBER  8 


Commonwealth  of  Virginia 
Timothy  M.  Kaine,  Governor 


L  HUNTING  &  nSHING 
ICENSE  FEE 


Subsidized  this  publication 

Secretary  of  Natural  Resources 

L.  Preston  Bryant,  Jr. 

Department  of  Game  and 
Inland  Fisheries 

Bob  Duncan 
Executive  Director 

Members  of  the  Board 
Ward  Burton,  Halifax 
Sherry  Smith  Crumley,  Buchanan 
William  T.  Greer,  Jr.,  Norfolk 
James  W.  Hazel,  Oakton 
C.T.  Hill,  Midlothian 
Randy  J.  Kozuch,  Alexandria 
John  W.  Montgomery, Jr.,  Sandston 
Mary  Louisa  Pollard,  Irvington 
Richard  E.  Railey,  Courtland 
Thomas  A.  Stroup,  Fairfax 
Charles  S.Yates,  Cleveland 

Magazine  Staff 

Sally  Mills,  Editor 

Lee  Walker,  Ron  Messina,  Julia  Dixon, 

Contributing  Editors 

Emily  Pels, Art  Director 

Carol  Kushlak,  Production  Manager 


Color  separations  and  printing  by 
Progress  Printing,  Lynchburg,  VA. 


Virginia  Wildlife  OSSN  0042  6792)  is  pubUshed  month- 
ly by  the  Virginia  Department  of  Game  and  Inland 
Fisheries.  Send  all  subscription  orders  and  address 
changes  to  Virginia  Wildlife,  P.  O.  Box  7477,  Red  Oak, 
Iowa  51591-0477.  Address  all  other  communications 
concerning  this  publication  to  Virginia  Wildlife,  P.  O. 
Box  1 1 104, 4010  West  Broad  Street,  Richmond,  Virginia 
23230-1 104.  Subscription  rates  are  $12.95  for  one  year, 
$23.95  for  two  years;  $4.00  per  each  back  issue, subject 
to  availability.  Out-of-country  rate  is  $24.95  for  one  year 
and  must  be  paid  in  U.S.  funds.  No  refunds  for  amounts 
less  than  $5.00  To  subscribe,  call  toll-free  (800)  710- 
9369.  Postmaster:  Please  send  all  address  changes  to 
Virginia  Wildlife,  RO.  Box  7477,  Red  Oak,  Iowa  51591- 
0477.  Postage  for  periodicals  paid  at  Richmond,  Virginia 
and  additional  entry  offices. 

Copyright  2008  by  the  Virginia  Department  of  Game 
and  Inland  Fisheries.  All  rights  reserved. 

The  Department  of  Game  and  hiland  Fisheries  shall 
afford  to  all  persons  an  equal  access  to  Department 
programs  and  facilities  without  regard  to  race,  color 
religion,  national  origin,  disability,  sex,  or  age.  If  you 
believe  that  you  have  been  discriminated  against  in  any 
program,  activity  or  facility,  please  write  to:  Virginia 
Department  of  Game  and  Inland  Fisheries,  ATfN: 
Compliance  Officer,  (4010  West  Broad  Street.)  RO.Box 
1 1 104,  Richmond, Virginia  23230-1 104. 

"This  publication  is  intended  for  general  informational 
purposes  only  and  every  effort  has  been  made  to 
ensure  its  accuracy.  The  information  contained  herein 
does  not  serve  as  a  legal  representation  of  fish  and 
wildlife  laws  or  regulations.The  Virginia  Department  of 
Game  and  Inland  Fisheries  does  not  assume  responsi- 
bility for  any  change  in  dates,  regulations,  or  informa- 
tion that  may  occur  after  publication." 


CONTENTS 


About  the  cover: 

This  summer,  consider  tackling  one 
of  Virginia's  blue  ribbon  trout  streams, 
where  cool,  shaded  watere  t;ike  the  bite 
out  of  the  August  heat. 
©Douglas  Grahiun 


TTIRGINIA 

\    WILD  LIFE 

Magazine 
Subscriptions 

For  subscriptions, 

circulation  problems 

and  address  changes 

call: 

1-800-710-9369 

12  issues  for  $12.95 
24  issues  for  $23-95 
36  issues  for  $29.95 


4Wliere  Tlie  Sky  is  Always 
Blue 

by  Tee  Clarkson 
Blue  Sky  Fund  introduces  city  kids  to 
different  terrain. 


C^  Real  Hunters  Don't  Bait 
^^  or  Feed 

by  Bruce  Ingram 
Ethical  deer  hunting  begins  with  this  principle. 


1  2  Gwis 

by  Clarke  C.  Jones 
More  and  more  women  are  drawn  to 
shooting  sports. 


1   C^  Match  the  Hatch 

^^  by  Harry  Murray 
Learn  how  to  read  insect  hatch 
patterns  in  Virginia's  trout  streimis. 


'^  C\  Dove  Hunts  Celebrate 
^^  ^^  Food,  Family  and  Friends 

b)'  Ken  Perrotte 
Season  openers  bring  old  friends  together 


*^  rr  A  Central  Virginia  Museum 
^  O  Rocks 

by  Emily  M.  Grey 
Virginia's  rich  geological  and  biological 
heritage  is  celebrated  here. 

Afield  and  Afloat 

30  Journal 

33  PhotoTips 

spare  Your  Shoulders  and  Get 
a  Beach  Roily! 

34  OnTlie Water 

Meet  SPOT:  A  Satellite  Messenger 


A  unique  scholarship 

program  introduces  Richmond  City  kids 

to  the  thrills  of  the  great  outdoors. 


story  by  Tee  Clarkson 
photos  by  EKviglit  Dyke 

n  his  classic  short  story  "The 
Scarlet  Ibis,"  James  Hurst 
wrote,  "Pride  is  a  wonderful, 
terrible  thing,  a  seed  that 
bears  two  vines,  life  and  death." 
Today  there  is  no  arguing  that  the 
pride  on  Cierra  Moreno's  face  is  the 
embodiment  of  life  as  she  darts  up  the 
grassy  bank  of  a  farm  pond  in  eastern 
Hanover  County,  a  half-povmd  bass 
dangling  from  the  hook  at  the  end  of 
her  line.  The  look  on  her  face  does  not 
attempt  to  liide  her  excitement  as  she 
smiles  shyly  and  leans  the  fish  to- 
ward one  of  the  volunteers  so  they 
can  release  it  back  into  the  water.  This 


While  several  of  these  kids  have  been 
fishing  with  Blue  Sky  Fund  in  the  past, 
for  most  of  them,  it  was  their  first  expe- 
rience on  the  water  For  some,  it  was 
one  of  their  first  experiences  in  the  out- 
doors. Blue  Sky  thrives  on  volunteers, 
and  on  this  day  several  generous  people 
donated  their  time  to  make  this  a  won- 
derful day  all  around. 


is  Cierra's  second  trip  to  this  pond  for 
a  fishing  event  hosted  by  Blue  Sky 
Fund,  a  recently  formed  non-profit 
organization  aimed  at  getting  inner 
city  youth  into  the  great  outdoors. 

If  there  is  a  moment  that  defines 
the  mission  of  Blue  Sky,  one  of  teach- 
ing responsibility,  confidence  and 
self-worth  while  having  fun  out- 
doors, this  is  it.  Just  a  year  ago,  Cierra, 
who  is  8  years  old,  had  arrived  at  tliis 
same  pond  with  her  brothers  and  sis- 
ter: Hector  (6),  Brandon  (11),  and 
Kapre  (10).  As  a  group  they  had  been 
shy  and  nervous,  somewhat  skepti- 
cal of  the  people  and  the  place — the 
open  fields  and  large  expanse  of 
water.  Now  Cierra  stands  tri- 
umphant on  the  bank  of  this  same 
pond,  boasting  a  prize  bigger  than 
the  fish  on  the  end  of  her  line  and  one 
that  she  caught  all  by  herself. 

As  Cierra  digs  for  another  worm 
to  bait  her  hook,  Fritz  Knapp  compli- 
ments her  on  her  catch.  Fritz  is  the 
founder  of  Blue  Sky  Fund.  As  the  co- 
ordinator of  GRIP  (Gang  Reduction 
and  Intervention  Program)  in  Rich- 
mond, Fritz  witnesses  the  damaging 
effects  that  an  urban  setting  and  neg- 
ative peer  pressure  can  have  on 
young  people  on  a  daily  basis.  After 
Fritz's  father,  Frederick  A.  Knapp,  Jr., 
passed  away  in  2002,  Fritz  sought  a 
way  to  preserve  the  memory  of  his  fa- 
ther's own  dedication  to  youth  dur- 
ing his  lifetime. 

"He  believed  in  getting  involved 
in  the  lives  of  kids,"  says  Fritz  about 
his  father.  "He  was  a  big  proponent  of 
mentoring  youth,  always  working 
with  the  YMCA,  the  Boy  Scouts,  or 
coaching  a  youth  football  team." 

When  Fritz  was  young,  his  fami- 
ly lived  in  Huntington,  NY,  and  host- 
ed an  inner-city  kid  for  two  consecu- 

Right:  The  author  baits  a  hook  for  two 
Richmonders  from  Churchill. 

AUGUST   2008 


tive  summers  in  the  1960s  as  part  of 
Fresh  Air  Fund's  program  to  get  New 
York's  youth  out  of  the  city  during 
the  summer  as  a  means  of  preventing 
tuberculosis.  Fresh  Air  Fund,  an  in- 
dependent non-profit  organization 
which  began  in  1877,  is  still  at  it,  hav- 
ing provided  outdoor  experiences 
aiid  camp  scholarships  for  over  1.7 
million  of  New  York's  inner-city 
youth  over  the  last  130  years.  Re- 
membering the  positive  experience 
from  his  younger  days,  Fritz  mod- 
eled Blue  Sky  after  Fresh  Air,  with  the 
goal  of  providing  inner  city  youth 
with  outdoor  experiences  and  sum- 
mer camp  scholarships.  Fritz  began 
offering  summer  camp  scholarships 
following  his  father's  death.  In  2003, 
he  sent  three  kids  to  camp.  In  2006 
that  number  had  grown  to  96!  With 
the  official  formation  of  Blue  Sky 
Fund,  Fritz  hopes  to  see  camp  schol- 
arships climb  into  the  hundreds 
within  the  next  several  years. 

Today,  ten  young  Richmonders 
have  made  it  out  to  this  farm  in 
Hanover  County.  Some  are  intrigued 
by  the  fishing,  like  Cierra,  and  others 
like  Lakeisha  Gibson  and  NeeNee 
Jones  are  more  interested  in  riding  in 


the  back  of  a  pick-up  truck  on  dirt 
roads  and  watching  as  a  flight  of 
geese  settle  into  the  back  end  of  the 
pond. 

"I  am  excited  that  the  kids  know 
how  to  fish,"  says  Lawson  McNeil 
Wijesooriya,  Executive  Director  for 
Blue  Sky  Fund,  "but  I  am  more  excit- 
ed that  the  kids  are  interested  in 
learning  something  new."  The  27- 
year-old  graduate  of  the  University 
of  Virginia  notes  that  the  chief  goals 
of  Blue  Sky  Fund  are  to  expose  more 
kids  to  the  wilderness,  impassion 
kids  about  their  learning,  and  hope- 
fully have  some  of  these  kids  come 
back  as  leaders  and  counselors  in  the 
future. 

If  one  were  looking  for  a  quiet 
outdoor  experience,  this  is  not  it.  The 
excitement  is  too  great.  As  one  group 
comes  jostling  up  to  the  edge  of  the 
pond  in  the  back  of  the  pick-up  after 
checking  the  catfish  rods  set  in  the 

Right:  Feeling  that  first  tug  of  the  line 
helps  every  angler  focus  right  in.  Below: 
Megan  Clarkson,  Director  of  Development 
for  Blue  Sky  Fund,  knows  that  patience 
might  be  the  hardest  thing  to  teach  a 
young  angler  waiting  for  their  first  bite. 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


Pamunkey  River,  Brianna  Carry 
screams  at  the  end  of  the  dock  as  her 
bobber  slowly  dips  underwater  and 
she  jerks  back  on  a  bent  pole.  In  a  few 
moments,  she  smiles  for  a  photo  with 
Connell  Mullins,  a  volunteer,  holding 
a  bass  of  a  little  more  than  a  pound. 

As  the  hoots  and  congratulations 
fade  into  the  crisp  October  morning, 
there  remains  one  quiet  member  of 
the  group.  Trayvon  Cary  stands  in 
the  far  comer  of  the  dock,  staring  in- 
tently at  the  end  of  his  line,  having  yet 
to  feel  the  pull  of  a  fish  this  morning. 
As  Hurst  wrote,  "Pride... bears  two 
vines,  life  and  death."  Few  will  come 
to  learn  this  as  well  as  Trayvon  and 
the  rest  of  these  kids,  growing  up  in 
environments  where  too  much  pride 
can  get  them  killed,  and  not  enough 
will  never  get  them  out. 

Under  the  shade  of  a  tree  on  the 
bank,  Fritz  hollers  out  to  the  group 
that  the  burgers  are  ready.  Quickly 
the  dock  empties  except  for  Trayvon, 
still  standing  and  staring  at  his  bob- 
ber. 

"Trayvon!!!!  Burgers  are 
ready!!!!,"  Fritz  yells. 

As  if  on  cue,  his  bobber  dips 
under  and  suddenly  Trayvon  is  into  a 
nice  bass.  In  a  flash  the  dock  is  popu- 
lated again,  this  time  with  sodas  and 
ketchup  sloshing  on  its  deck  as 
Trayvon  hoists  over  the  railing  a  two- 
pound  bass,  the  biggest  of  the  day. 

Later,  reflecting  on  the  day  Fritz 
says,  "If  this  were  to  go  beyond  my 
lifetime,  I  would  really  be  happy.  The 
thought  that  in  the  year  2060  kids 
might  be  fishing,  or  hiking,  or  going 
to  summer  camp  through  Blue  Sky 
Fund  is  pretty  exciting." 

I  believe  Trayvon  and  all  the  kids 
who  went  fishing  this  day  would  say 
Blue  Sky  is  off  to  a  good  start.    L\ 

Tee  Clarkson  is  an  English  teacher  at  Deep  Run 
High  School  in  Henrico  County.  Tee  runs  Vir- 
ginia Fishing  Adventures,  a  fishing  camp  for 
kids:  ummifishingndventu  res. com. 

For  more  information  about  Blue  Sky 

Fund  please  coiitact  Lawson  Wijesooriya 

at (804) 938-9961,  or  go  to 

www.hlueskyfund.org. 

Right:  A  proud  and  patient  Trayvon 
hoists  a  nice  bass. 

AUGUST   2008 


One  ethical  hunter 
explains  why. 

by  Bruce  Insram 

■ 

■  t  was  the  most  miserable  moment 
^  I  have  ever  experienced  as  a 
1  /  hunter.  The  time  was  10:15  on  an 
early  October  morning  (and  opening 
day  of  Virginia's  bow  season),  rain 
was  falling,  the  blood  trail  I  had  tried 
to  follow  had  been  washed  away, 
somewhere  on  my  30-acre  parcel  in 
Craig  County  a  white-tail  probably 
lay  dead,  and  between  30  and  50  yards 
from  where  I  was  perched  sat  three 
considerable  bait  piles  of  com.  Baiting 
deer  and  other  game  animals,  of 
course,  is  illegal  in  Virginia. 


An  explanation  is  obviously  in  order 
and  a  timeline  of  that  Saturday  is  the  best 
way  to  give  one. 

6:30  A.M. ...  Arriving  well  before  sunrise, 
I  park  my  jeep  at  the  entrance  to  the  prop- 
erty, walk  to  and  ascend  my  hang-on 
stand. 

8:05...  I  see  a  buck  and  a  fawn  approach- 
ing the  stand. 

8:15. . .  I  shoot  an  arrow  at  the  buck  and 
feel  that  I  have  made  a  fatal  hit,  even 
though  the  white-tail  runs  out  of  sight.  I 
decide  to  wait  an  hour  before  following 
the  blood  trail. 

9:05...  Ironically,  in  a  summer  and  fall 
characterized  by  drought  and  with  a  small 
chance  of  precipitation  forecasted,  the 
clouds  unexpectedly  open  and  rain  begins 
to  steadily  fall.  I  reason  that  I  will  have  to 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  wvvw.HuntFishVA.com 


Doni  Bait  or  Feed 


One  of  the  piles  of  corn  that  hod  been  placed  on  the  author's  Craig  County  land. 


prematurely  follow  the  buck  or  risk  losing 
his  mark. 

9:10-10:00...  I  follow  the  blood  trail 
until  it  disappears,  meanwhile  twice 
jumping  up  the  buck.  I  decide  to  return  to 
my  tree  stand,  so  as  not  to  risk  possibly 
spooking  him  off  my  property. 

10:10...  Walking  back  to  the  stand,  I  find 
the  three  bait  piles  of  corn  and  realize 
that,  technically,  I  have  been  hunting 
over  bait  and  the  deer  that  I  shot  had 
been  drawn  to  the  corn  and  probably  also 
had  been  consuming  that  grain. 

10:15...  I  resolve  to  sit  still  until  1:00 
P.M.,  giving  the  buck  a  chance  to  die  and 
also  to  avoid  spooking  him  further.  I  am 
afraid  to  go  to  my  car  because  I  might 
scare  the  buck  off  the  property;  yet,  I  am 
extremely  worried  about  remaining  near 
the  bait  piles.  There  is  no  right  decision  to 


make,  but  I  opt  to  remain  near  the  bait.  I 
also  ponder  the  irony  that  I  had  refused 
to  hunt  over  corn  during  2005  and  2006 
bow  hunts  to  West  Virginia  and  North  Car- 
olina, respectively;  something  that  my 
hosts  were  none  too  happy  about.  My  re- 
sponse had  been  that,  although  baiting 
deer  is  legal  in  those  two  states,  hunting 
over  corn  is  neither  ethical  nor  consistent 
with  the  principles  of  fair  chase. 

1:00  P.M.  ...  I  resume  tracking  the  deer 
and  find  it  at  1:40. 1  then  field  dress  the 
animal,  check  it  in  at  a  New  Castle  check 
station,  drop  the  animal  at  my  butcher's 
shop,  arrive  home,  and  call  DGIF  conser- 
vation police  officer  Greg  Funkhouser  to 
report  the  incident. 

Sunday  afternoon...  My  wife  Elaine  and 
I  bring  Funkhouser  and  fellow  officer 
John  Koloda  to  our  land  and  show  them 


Figuring  out  how  deer  move  naturally  is 
one  of  the  challenges  and  joys  of  hunting. 


the  piles  of  corn.  Koloda  discovers  where 
an  individual  has  positioned  tree  stand 
steps  in  a  poplar  near  the  corn,  and 
Funkhouser  locates  where  someone  has 
been  accessing  my  property  without  per- 
mission. Both  officers  plan  future  stake- 
outs of  my  land. 

As  we  leave,  Funkhouser  tells  me  that 
I  cannot  legally  hunt  my  property  for  30 
days  until  it  has  been  "cleaned"  of  the 
corn  and  the  effects  of  baiting.  I  tell  him 
that  is  no  problem,  as  I  own  three  other 
rural  properties  and  can  go  afield  on  the 
national  forest  and  a  number  of  local 
farms.  But  I  can't  help  thinking  of  another 
negative  consequence  of  baiting:  a  per- 
son who  does  not  have  access  to  public 
land  or  other  property  could  truly  have  his 
hunting  season  ruined  because  of  the  ac- 
tions of  an  illegal  baiter. 


AUGUST   2008 


Before  revealing  how  my  situa- 
tion was  resolved,  consider  this:  Why 
has  Virgiiiia  traditionally  prohibited 
individuals  from  hunting  over  bait? 
According  to  state  hunting  regula- 
tions, it  is  unlawful  "for  any  person  to 
place  or  distribute  food,  salt,  miner- 
als or  similar  substances,  to  feed  or  at- 
tract deer  from  September  1  through 
the  first  Saturday  in  January.  Nor, 
upon  written  notification  by  Depart- 
ment personnel,  shall  any  person 
continue  to  place  or  distribute  any 
food,  salt,  mineral  or  similar  sub- 
stances for  any  purpose  if  the  place- 
ment of  these  materials  results  in  the 
attraction  of  and  /  or  feeding  of  deer." 

I  asked  Dave  Steffen,  a  research 
biologist  supervisor  for  the  Depart- 
ment, about  the  policies  against  bait- 
ing and  feeding. 

"Deer  cannot  be  shot  over  bait  in 
Virginia;  that's  state  code,"  he  told 
me.  "Shooting  an  animal  over  bait 
isn't  hunting,  and  the  Department 
will  never  call  it  hunting.  For  certain 
herd  control  purposes  in  cities  and 
towns,  it  is  sometimes  necessary  for 
sharp  shooters  to  shoot  deer  over 
bait. 

"Hunting  over  bait  is  also  clearly 
unethical.  Do  we  really  want  to  drift 
toward  animal  husbandry?  Put,  for 
example,  deer  in  enclosures  and  feed 
them  artificially  and  treat  them  like 
cattle  behind  a  fence?  In  Virginia,  we 
have  said  'no'.  Philosophically,  we 
believe  that  wildlife  should  live  in  a 
natural  way." 

He  continues,  "Another  negative 
of  baiting  and  feeding  is  that  it  con- 
centrates deer  in  one  spot,  which  in- 
creases the  likelihood  of  disease 
transmission.  With  the  discovery  of 
Chronic  Wasting  Disease  (CWD)  in 
West  Virginia,  near  our  border,  we 
have  become  especially  vigilant 
about  disease  management  and  the 
implications  of  feeding  deer." 

Steffen  emphasizes  that  the  pub- 
lic supports  the  Department's  philos- 
ophy. The  general  public  under- 
stands the  fair  chase  ethic,  but  many 
non-hunters — understandably — 
cannot  understand  the  sport  of  killing 
an  animal  standing  over  a  pile  of 
com,  apples,  or  beets.  This  philoso- 
phy also  relates  to  why  individuals 
cannot  feed  deer  between  September 
1  and  the  first  Saturday  in  January. 


CPO  Greg  Funkhouser  notes  some  disturbed  Leaves,  indicating  where  a  trespasser 
has  accessed  the  author's  property. 

"Let's  say  an  individual  is  deer 
hunting  on  national  forest  land  and 
on  the  private  land  that  borders  the 
public  land,  a  non-hunter  is  feeding 
deer  just  so  that  he  can  see  them," 
continues  Steffen.  "How  far  does  that 
hunter  have  to  go  back  into  the  na- 
tional forest  before  he  can  take  a 
stand  at  a  spot  where  deer  movement 
is  not  influenced  by  that  feeding?" 

"We  had  rather  hunters  not  have 
to  wrestle  with  that  question  and  oth- 
ers like  it.  Plus,  again,  the  no  feeding 
regulation  helps  lessen  the  chances  of 
disease  transmission  and  CWD,"  he 
adds. 

Matt  Knox  is  the  deer  project 
leader  for  the  DGEF.  He  offers  these 
arguments  against  baiting. 

Some  individuals  believe  that 
feeding  staves  off  winter  die-off 
among  deer.  However,  winter- 
related  deer  deaths  are  almost 
non-existent  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion. 

VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


The  author  drags  away  a  doe  from  his 
stand  site  before  field  dressing  it.  The 
stand  was  placed  near  red  oak  acorns 
on  the  ground.  Learning  and  reading 
deer  sign  is  a  mark  of  good  woods- 
manship. 


|r  For  the  most  part,  Virginia's  deer 
herd  is  in  fair  to  good  condition 
health- wise. 

|r  Feeding  deer  will  not  make  them 
grow  gigantic  antlers.  Letting 
bucks  grow  older  is  what  helps 
them  to  grow  better-sized 
antlers. 

%/  Baiting  deer  can  cause  them  to 
overpopulate  an  area.  This  is  not 
good  for  wildlife  habitat. 

•r  Recreational  feeding  of  deer  like- 
wise has  negative  consequences 
for  nearby  wildlife  habitat,  often 
causing  over-browsing  of  plants. 
This  can  be  harmful  to  the  deer 
themselves  as  well  as  other 
wildlife,  from  songbirds  to  bears. 

|r  Deer  feeding  has  been  linked  to 
CWD,  tuberculosis,  and  brucel- 
lois — the  three  most  significant 
deer  diseases  today. 

%/  Feeding  deer  causes  them  to  lose 
their  essential  wildness.  Do  we 
really  want  deer  to  become  semi- 
tame? 

w  Bottom  line:  the  Department  rec- 
ommends against  deer  feeding  at 
any  time  of  year. 


I  iTa  I»^  iTar\  A 1 


CPO  Funkhouser  leveais  where  a  pile  of 
com  had  been  placed  on  the  property. 
Funkhouser  arrested  the  baiter  less  than 
two  weeks  later. 


AUGUST  2008 


The  author  found  these  acorns  on  his  Botetourt  County  land  and  positioned  his 
stand  nearby.  Baiting  takes  away  the  decision-making  process  and  diminishes  the 
entire  experience. 

"At  what  point  do  we  have  so 
much  of  an  advantage  over  the  deer 
that  we  are  no  longer  really  hunting, 
but  only  shooting,  since  the  deer  real- 
ly has  no  chance  to  use  its  natural  in- 
stincts to  avoid  the  hunter?" 

An  excellent  question,  indeed, 
and  this  is  how  I  would  answer  it.  I 
have  been  a  deer  hunter  since  1985, 
and  I  would  guess  that  well  over  80 
percent  of  the  times  I  have  gone  deer 
hunting  I  have  not  killed  a  deer.  But 
every  time  on  those  glorious  days 
that  I  have  placed  a  tag  on  a  white- 
tail,  I  have  felt  a  soul-thrilling  sense  of 
accomplishment.  Hunting  over  bait, 
well,  would  not  be  hunting  at  all  and 
would  take  away  any  sense  of  exhila- 
ration and  accomplishment. 

Bruce  Ingram  is  the  author  of  The  James 
River  Guide,  The  New  River  Guide, 
and  The  Shenandoah /Rappahannock 
Rivers  Guide.  To  obtain  a  copy,  contact  In- 
gram at  P.O.  Box  429,  Fincastle,  VA  24090 
or  be_ingram@juno.com. 


Ten  days  after  Funkhouser  and 
Koloda  accompanied  me  to  my  Craig 
land,  the  latter  told  me  that  they  had 
been  staking  out  the  property  and 
that  the  trespasser  had  positioned  an 
additional  stand  on  it.  Four  days 
later,  Funkhouser  called  to  inform  me 
that  the  trespasser  had  been  appre- 
hended. Dave  Steffen  had  assured 
me  that  Funkhouser  and  Koloda 
would  not  rest  until  the  trespasser 
was  caught,  and  his  words  rang  true. 

Bob  Brown,  Dean  of  the  College 
of  Natural  Resources  at  North  Caroli- 
na State  University  and  former  Head 
of  the  Department  of  Wildlife  and 
Fisheries  Sciences  at  Texas  A&M  Uni- 
versity, has  done  extensive  research 
on  deer  baiting  and  in  his  article, 
"The  Nutritional,  Ecological,  and 
Ethical  Arguments  Against  Baiting 
and  Feeding  of  Deer,"  posed  this 
question: 


Move  over  guys! 

Have  we  got  a  shooting 

partner  for  you. 


story  by  Clarke  C.  Jones 
photos  by  Dwiglit  Dyke 

^^^J  his  dove  season  things 
^    ^  were  going  to  be  different. 

[ J      My  bird-to-shot  ratio  was 

going  to  improve.  Friends  would 
stop  picking  up  easy  money  betting 
me  which  of  us  would  get  their  limit 
first.  Doves  would  learn  that  flying 
directly  over  me  was  not  the  safest 
place  to  be,  and  I  would  no  longer  get 
notes  from  the  corporate  heads  of 
shotgun  shell  manufacturers  thank- 
ing me  for  the  spike  in  their  third 
quarter  sales.  There  is  an  old  adage, 
"You  keep  doing  what  you  have  al- 
ways done,  and  you  will  keep  getting 
what  you  always  got."  Thus,  this 
year  I  decided  I  would  spend  some 
time  at  the  shooting  range  working 
on  rights  to  lefts  and  incoming  shots 
which  always  seem  to  confound  me 
and  amuse  my  shooting  partners. 

Well,  things  tunied  out  to  be  dif- 
ferent but  not  in  the  way  I  expected. 


Elizabeth  Lanier  points  out  shotgun 
basics  to  her  daughter  Below:  Lanier 
siting  a  high  bird. 

Like  many  quests  in  our  lives,  we  set 
off  to  discover  one  thing  and  we  un- 
cover something  completely  differ- 
ent. While  I  had  hoped  to  solve  the 
mystery  of  missing  targets,  I  made  a 


much  more  important  discovery — 
WOMEN!  To  be  more  succinct,  the 
increased  participation  of  women  in 
shooting  sports. 

Of  course  a  number  of  women 
have  been  shooting  for  years,  and  it 
may  appear  this  discovery  on  my 
part  was  like  Columbus  claiming  to 
have  found  a  new  world  when  the 
Native  Americans  already  knew 
about  it.  However,  women  who 
shoot  for  sport  have  been  such  a 
small  segment  of  the  population  that 
even  the  fashion  industry — which 
claims  to  know  what  women 
wants — only  recently  began  produc- 
ing clothing  that  didn't  look  like  big 
brother  hand-me-downs. 

You  can  usually  count  on  seeing 
the  same  thing  at  any  sporting  clay 
range  when  you  show  up  during  the 
week:  a  small  group  of  men  with 
poor  hearing  who  said  goodbye  to 
their  40s  a  long  time  ago.  You  do  not 
expect  to  find  two  carloads  of  women 


Elizabeth  Lanier  assists  a  new  shooter  at 
the  range. 

consisting  of  a  law  partner,  a  minister, 
an  artist,  and  several  garden  club 
members  chatting  about  choke  tiibes. 
Browning  vs.  Beretta,  and  which  pre- 
serve offers  thie  best  pheasaiit  shoot- 
ing. 


Above  L  to  R:  Derenda  Reynolds,  Sandi  Nunnally,  and  Eva  Tashjian-Brown  prepare  for 
a  morning  of  sporting  clays.  Below:  Pheasant  shooting  in  Caroline  County. 


Because  my  father's  sons  were 
not  born  attractive,  we  couldn't  af- 
ford to  be  shy;  therefore,  I  cautiously 
approached  the  ladies  as  any  man 
would  approach  a  group  of  women 
holding  shotguns,  and  asked  the  lady 


in  charge  what  brought  them  to  a 
sporting  clay  range.  And  you  thought 
an  opening  line  at  a  singles  bar  was 
critical! 

Elizabeth  Lanier,  who  has  put  this 
group  who  calls  itself  GRITS  (Girls  Re- 


Brenda  Bickerstaff-Stanley  accepts  a  retrieved  pheasant. 


ally  Into  Shooting)  together,  ex- 
plained to  me  that  her  dentist  who 
shot  clays  had  piqued  her  interest 
and  she  and  her  husband  decided  to 
take  shooting  lessons. 

"I  was  doing  this  for  my  hus- 
band," she  said,  "but  I'm  the  one  who 
got  hooked.  Shooting  was  fun  but  I 
was  the  only  woman  involved  until  I 
met  Lydia  Strickland  at  a  shoot.  We 
exchanged  phone  numbers  written 
on  the  top  of  a  shotgun  shell  box." 

Most  of  the  GRITS  girls  have 
only  been  shooting  clays  for  three 
years  or  less  and,  admittedly,  some 
were  hesitant  to  pick  up  a  shotgun. 

As  Eva  Tashjian-Brown,  who  just 
started  shooting  this  year,  relates  the 
story,  "Lydia  had  been  telling  me 
about  the  group  and  how  much  fun 
shooting  was  but  I  kept  putting  them 
off.  Finally  I  went  and  had  a  ball.  I 
told  Lydia,  'You  told  me  it  would  be 
fun  but  you  didn't  tell  me  it  would  be 
THIS  fun!'" 


Sandy  Nunnally  got  involved 
because  of  her  son.  "He  asked  me  to 
go  shooting  with  him  and  I  had  no  in- 
terest in  doing  so.  Then  I  thought, 
how  many  things  can  a  mother  do 
with  her  21-year-old  son?"  Sandy 
now  shoots  a  28  gauge  Franchi  and 
has  been  for  about  a  year. 

I  was  invited  along  to  watch  the 
ladies  tackle  the  Charity  Hill  Sport- 
ing Clay  range  and  shoot  with  them. 
The  enjoyable  aspect  of  this  group  is 
that  they  take  their  shooting  serious- 
ly but  they  do  not  take  themselves  se- 
riously. There  is  constant  encourage- 
ment to  those  who  have  just  started 
shooting,  as  well  as  helpful  instruc- 
tion by  the  more  experienced  shoot- 
ers to  those  who  want  to  learn. 

"The  really  fun  part  is  watching 
everyone  improve  their  shooting," 

Clothing  manufacturers  have  expanded 
their  lines  into  shooting  attire  and 
accessories  for  women. 


stated  Marilyn  Wetton  who  has  been 
shooting  for  a  little  over  a  year.  Mari- 
lyn, like  a  number  of  the  GRITS,  got 
interested  in  shooting  because  of  her 
husband.  "He  went  on  vacations 
where  he  was  shooting  and  it  looked 
like  too  much  fun  to  miss  out,"  she  re- 
calls. 

While  some  of  the  GRITS  use  the 
sporting  clay  range  as  a  way  to  im- 
prove on  their  new-found  desire  to 
bird  hunt,  others  like  Susan  Butter- 
worth,  a  recent  graduate  of  Union 
Theological  Seminary,  enjoys  shoot- 
ing clays  for  different  reasons. 

"I  love  being  outdoors  and  the 
uniqueness  of  a  sport  that  allows 
women  of  any  age  to  participate.  If 
you  take  a  few  lessons  and  stay  con- 
sistent with  your  shooting,  you  see 
improvement  pretty  quickly.  I  like  a 
sport  that  provides  a  way  to  improve 
a  skill  without  having  to  be  athletic.  It 
doesn't  matter  whether  you  hunt  or 
not,  the  camaraderie  is  fantastic. 
When  I  am  standing  at  the  shooting 
station,  I  am  focusing  on  breaking 
that  clay  and  not  how  bad  my  day  or 
week  may  have  been." 

So  why  an  increased  participa- 
tion in  shotgun  sports  by  women? 
Henry  Baskerville,  Program  Director 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE 


Above:  Taking  'em  on  the  rise. 
Below:  Re-living  the  day's  hunt. 


for  Cavalier  Sporting  Clays,  believes 
there  are  a  number  of  reasons  for  this. 
"Shooting  is  not  a  gender-separated 
sport.  It  is  a  sport  that  requires  more 
grace  and  the  ability  to  focus  than 
physical  strength.  Also,  shotgvms  are 
now  made  that  fit  women  better  them 
in  the  past,  and  finally,  there  has  been 
a  resurgence  in  the  interest  of  using 
lighter  gauge  shotguns." 

Baskerville  notes  that  women  are 
easier  to  teach  than  men.  "A  woman 
new  to  shooting  does  not  bring  bad 
shooting  habits  to  her  lessons  that 
have  to  be  corrected,  and  after  a  few 
lessons,  are  often  shooting  better  than 
their  significant  others." 

Gentlemen  should  begin  to  pre- 
pare themselves  for  a  little  "come-up- 
pance"  when  it  involves  their  dress  in 
the  field  and  the  lodge.  When  shoot- 
ing, women  in  the  past  have  had  few 
options  when  it  came  to  hunting  at- 
tire. Their  choices  were  hand-me- 
downs  or  something  bulky  and  often 
nonfunctional.  European  clothing 
manufacturers  have  recognized  this 
and  are  significantly  ahead  of  the  U.S. 
when  adding  style  to  a  woman's  gun- 
ning wardrobe. 

Ramona  Brumby,  CEO  of  the 
London  Trading  Company  based  in 


Atlanta,  states  that  European  cloth- 
ing manufacturers  started  adjusting 
their  clothing  lines  to  market  to 
women  a  number  of  years  ago. 
"Field  or  shooting  attire  is  now  made 
to  fit  women,  where  not  long  ago 
women  had  to  purchase  men's  cloth- 
ing in  smaller  sizes.  For  formal  shoots 
there  is  now  classic  clothing  that  is 
timeless  and  looks  good  in  the  field  or 
at  the  cocktail  reception  afterward." 

Brumby  also  believes  women's 
interest  in  hvmting  and  sporting  clays 
have  increased  because  they  have 
discovered,  "Shooting  is  something 
that  women  can  do  with  their  hus- 
bands and  boyfriends  and  is  an  'even 
sport' — one  where  both  men  and 
women  can  evenly  participate." 

It  is  human  nature  to  congregate 
with  those  who  share  similar  inter- 
ests. Best  friends  usually  become  that 
way  because  they  share  a  common 
interest  in  the  things  they  do.  If  your 
spouse  or  significant  other  is  already 
your  best  friend,  what  a  great  person 
to  make  your  shooting  partner  as 
well!    D 

Clarke  Jones  is  a  freelance  writer  who 
spends  his  spare  time  hunting  up  stories 
with  his  black  lab,  Luke.  He  can  be  contact- 
ed at  www.clarkeciones.com . 


Tips  on 

landing  a  big  trout 

begin  here. 


's 

Jeetle  .^^^"*^ 

4^ 


by  Harry  Murray 


atching  large  wild  trout 
consistently  from  mid- 
summer until  the  end  of  the 
year  is  very  challenging.  These  trout 
have  been  fished  over  by  anglers  and 
chased  by  predators  since  spring- 
time. They  have  survived  by  adapt- 


ing to  ever-changing  threats  and 
feeding  on  the  natural  foods  that  na- 
ture provides. 

In  an  earlier  "Match  the  Hatch" 
story  {Virginia  Wildlife,  Feb.  2006),  I 
reviewed  the  seasonal  emergence  se- 
quence of  Virginia's  major  aquatic  in- 
sects from  March  through  July  and 
the  best  artificial  flies  to  match  them. 
Armed  with  this  information,  catch- 
ing trout  during  that  time  period  is 
fairly  straightforward  because  of  the 
limited  variety  of  insects  available  to 
the  trout  at  any  one  time.  However, 
from  August  until  the  end  of  the  year 
the  broad  assortment  of  insects  avail- 
able to  trout  is  astounding.  The  chal- 


lenge for  the  angler  now  becomes 
which  fly  to  use  in  particular  situa- 
tions and  how  to  fish  it.  Let's  start  in 
early  August  and  explore  the  op- 
tions. 

The  Trico  mayflies  are  in  full 
swing  by  early  August.  The  duns 
start  emerging  from  the  stream  about 
7  A.M.,  and  the  mating  and  spinner 
fall  takes  place  about  two  hours  later 
As  the  season  progresses,  this  emer- 
gence and  spinner  fall  occurs  later  in 
the  day. 

This  hatch  can  be  very  dense  and 
the  trout  can  be  unbelievably  selec- 
tive. One  way  to  give  yourself  a  slight 
edge  on  the  Trico  hatch  is  to  get  to  the 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


Murray's  Housefly 


Successful  anglers  learn  that  there's 
more  science  than  art  behind  choosing 
the  correct  fly. 

Mr  Rapldan  Ant 

stream  early  enough  to  be  able 
to  drift  your  flies  over  the  trout 
when  the  hatch  first  starts  and  the 
naturals  are  sparse.  The  same  ploy 
works  at  the  end  of  the  daily  hatch. 
Some  of  these  tough  trout  can't  seem 
to  resist  taking  just  one  more  fly. 

The  most  popular  fly  to  use  on 
this  hatch  is  a  Trico  Spinner  size  24.  A 
9  foot  7X  leader  is  standard,  but  I 
often  use  8X  in  order  to  assure  a  natu- 
ral drift  of  the  fly. 

Look  for  strong  Trico  hatches  on 
streams  that  have  good  limestone 


springs  flowing  into  them.  Big 
Stoney  Creek  west  of  Edinburg 
below  the  Wakeman's  Grove  springs 
has  good  Trico  hatches. 

Some  years,  the  lowly  housefly  is 
present  around  Virginia's  mountain 
trout  streams  in  August  in  such  large 
numbers  that  they  are  a  real  nuisance 
to  the  angler.  They  are  present  in  the 
greatest  concentrations  from  August 
to  October  in  the  Blue  Ridge  Moun- 
tains. Houseflies  are  helpless  when 
tliey  fall  into  a  stream,  and  tliey  are 
often  shunted  into  the  back  eddies. 
Many  large  trout  regularly  swing 
through  back  eddies  in  search  of  this 
type  of  easy  meal,  so  as  you  approach 
these  eddies  take  a  moment  to  look 
over  them  carefully 
and  try  to  spot  the 
trout.  When  you 
do,  cast  a  Mur- 
ray's Housefly 
size  16  two  feet 
out  in  front  of 
him. 

Ants  represent  a  very  important 
natural  food  for  trout  all  summer 
long  simply  because  they  are  present 
in  such  large  numbers.  I've  experi- 
enced many  sittiations  in  which  trout 
swam  six  feet  across  a  pool  to  take  my 
Ant  fly  when  they  passed  up  other 
patterns  that  drifted  right  over  them. 

If  you  are  fishing  to  a  large  trout 
and  you  can  clearly  see  him  come  up 
and  inspect  several  different  stan- 
dard dry  flies  but  refuse  them  all, 
drop  down  to  a  Mr.  Rapidan 
Ant  size  20  and 
you'll  take  most  of 
them. 
My  favorite  ant  pat- 
terns are  the  Mr.  Rapidan 
Ant  sizes  16,  18  and  20,  Mc- 

Murray  Black  Ant  sizes  16,  18 
and  20,  and  McMurray  Cinnamon 
Ant  sizes  16, 18  and  20. 

There  are  over  200  beetle-like  in- 
sects around  our  trout  streams  from 
August  through  November  so  you 
can  see  why  my  favorite  fly  for  this 
time  of  year  is  the  Murray's  Flying 


A  big  brown  trout  closely  inspects  a 
dry  Shenl<'s  Cricket  on  the  surface 
seconds  before  sucking  it  under. 


Beetle  sizes  14  and 
16.  Use  this  as  a 
searching  pat- 
tern  on   free- 
stone  streams 
and  tail  waters  when 
you  don't  see  feeding 
trout,  and  fish  it  beside  un- 
dercut banks  and  grassbeds 
on  spring-fed  creeks. 

Large  trout  apparently  place 
natural  crickets  high  on  their  list  of  fa- 
vorite foods  because  a  real  cricket 
that  accidentally  falls  into  a  trout 
stream  has  a  very  short  lifespan.  My 
favorite  fly  for  this  is  Ed  Shenk's 
Cricket  in  sizes  12,  14  and  16.  Not 
only  does  this  look  like  the  real  crick- 
et, it  is  a  great  match  for  the  "moun- 
tain wasp"  found  along  many 
streams  in  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Al- 
legheny mountains. 

Shenk's  Cricket  size  12  is  a  great 
fly  to  use  on  the  Hidden  Valley  sec- 
tion of  the  Jackson  River  from  August 
through  November.  On  mountain 
streams  like  Big  Tumbling  Creek  iii 
the  Clinch  Mountain  Wildlife  Man- 
agement Area,  this  is  also  a  very  pro- 
ductive fly  in  size  16  from  August 
through  November. 

Natural  grasshoppers  are  large 
enough  by  late  summer  to  attract  the 
largest  trout.  Both  Shenk's  Letort 
Hopper  and  Dave's  Hopper  in  sizes 
12,  14  and  16  are  very  productive 
from  August  through  November.  In 
large  streams,  such  as  the  Bullpasture 
River  above  Williamsville,  a  good 


Ed  Shenk's  Cricket 


AUGUST   2008 


tactic  is  to  fish  a  Hopper  upstream 
along  the  sides  of  the  incoming  rif- 
fles. Smaller  streams  such  as  Back 
Creek  in  Bath  County  that  flow 
through  meadows  often  hold  many 
trout  along  the  grassy  and  undercut 
banks. 

Chironomid  ac[uatic  insects 
begin  showing  up  in  good  numbers 
on  Virginia's  trout  streams  in  October 
and  they  are  present  through  Decem- 
ber. Effective  flies  for  these  include 
the  Griffith  Gnat  size  20  and  the  Mr. 
Rapidan  Midge  sizes  20  and  22. 
Heavy  hatches  of  these  midges  on 
streams,  such  as  the  delayed  harvest 
section  of  Passage  Creek  east  of  Edin- 
burg,  prompt  dozens  of  rainbow 
trout  to  feed  on  the  surface. 

Frequently  there  will  be  good 
hatches  of  midges  below  waterfalls 
on  mountain  streams  such  as  Big 
Cedar  Creek  in  Russell  County.  The 
side  eddies  below  the  falls  usually 
produce  the  greatest  number  of 
midges  and  the  most  feeding  trout. 
Some  of  these  trout  feed  on  adult 
flies,  and  the  two  patterns  mentioned 
earlier  are  very  effective.  However, 
the  trout  you  see  swirling  are  feeding 
on  emerging  midges  just  below  the 
water's  surface.  When  you  see  this, 
use  a  Brassie  size  20. 


Major  Late  Season  Ti-out  F\kmIs  ii 


Heavy  hatches  of  Beatis  mayflies  prompt 
many  large  trout  to  feed  heavily  upon 
the  surface. 


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II 


\ii*^iiia 


The  author  admires  a  large  rainbow  trout  which  he  took  on  a  Mr.  Rapidan  Ant  when 
he  spotted  the  fish  feeding  on  natural  ants  beside  a  rose  bush. 


Artificial 
Dry 

%^ 

frico  Spinner  24 

■J^ 

Murray's  Housefly  1 4,1 6 

rh^ 

Mr.RapidanAnt  16,18,  20 
Vlcl\/lurrayAnt16,18,  20 

McMurray               ,jW 
CinnamonAnt        w8»| 

Murray's  Flying  Beetle  14,16 

yC 

Shenk's  Cricket  12, 14, 16 

BlueWing  Olive 

Shenk's  Letort  Hopper  1 2, 1 4 
Dave's  Hopper  12, 14, 16 

,16 

-J 

^ 

Shenk's 

Mr.RapidanMidge20,  22 
Griffith  Gnat  20 
Brassie20 

Beatis  Parachute  18 
Blue  Wing  Olive  18 

'         AUGUST   2008 

Letort  Hopper 

The  Beatis  mayfly  hatch  starts  in 
October  on  Virginia  streams  and  can 
last  through  December.  This  can  be  a 
very  "moody"  hatch  as  to  when  and 
where  it  materializes.  Normally,  the 
best  hatches  and  the  greatest  number 
of  feeding  trout  will  be  found  on 
heavily  overcast  days.  I've  had 
some  great  Beatis  fishing  when  it 
was  snowing  so  hard  I  haci  trou- 
ble seeing  my  fly  on  the  water. 

My  favorite  flies  for  this  hatch  are 
the  Beatis  Parachute  size  18  and  the 
Blue  Wing  Olive  size  18.  The  small 
size  of  the  naturals  and  our  matching 
patterns  suggest  that  you  will  get  the 
best  results  by  fishing  to  individual 
rising  trout  that  are  locked  onto  spe- 
cific feeding  stations,  such  as  those 
beside  underwater  grass  beds  and 


below  downfalls.  Two  streams  that 
have  good  Beatis  hatches  are  the 
Smith  River  at  Bassett  and  Buffalo 
Creek  at  Lexington. 

Yes,  trout  fishing  can  be  outstand- 
ing in  Virginia  from  the  middle  of  the 
summer  through  December.  By 
adapting  your  tactics  and  selecting  fly 
patterns  which  match  their  natural 
foods,  you  just  might  experience  the 
best  trout  fisliing  of  the  year.    H 

Harry  Murray  is  the  oivner  of  Murray's  Fly 
Shop  ill  Ediiiburg,  Va.  He  has  loritten  numerous 
books  ami  articles  on  fly-fisliiiig.  For  complete  in- 
formation on  many  of  the  best  trout  streams  in 
Vir^^inia  shoivin^^  their  locations  and  hatches,  see 
the  book  "Virginia  Blue  Ribbon  Streams," 
which  is  aimilable  from  tlie  Slienaudoah  Publish- 
ing Company,  P.  O.  Box  156,  Edinburg  VA 
22824.  Phone  (540)  984-4212. 


vm  WWMm  Ceiel: 


...OnYeah^ 

Sometimes 

mere's  a  Little 

Wingsnooting,  "Too 

byKenPerrotte 

'he  early  September  noon 
sun  was  high  overhead  in 
the  bluebird-clear  sky,  its 
warmth  reminding  the 
dozen  or  so  hunters  gathered  at  a 
Louisa  County  farm  to  appreciate 
their  refreshing  iced  tea  and  light- 
weight, camouflaged  clothing. 

Still,  as  Virginia  dove  season 
opening  days  go,  the  2007  edition 
was  downright  comfy  with  inidday 
temperatures  barely  pushing  80  de- 
grees, low  humidity  and  a  northerly 
breeze.  Most  of  the  hunters  recalled 
sweat-soaked  openers  of  years  past. 

Dogs  and  youngsters  ran  about 
as  brimming  buckets  of  Hardee's 
chicken  and  biscuits  were  reduced  to 
so  much  bones  and  scraps.  As  lunch 
wound  down,  portable  trap  throwers 
were  set  up  and  the  first  shotgun 
blasts  echoed  through  the  South 
Anna  River  valley.  Shooters  calibrat- 
ed their  reflexes  and  equipment  in 
anticipation  of  flights  of  the  real 
feathered  deal  later  in  the  afternoon. 

Scenes  like  these  are  repeated  in 
varying  forms  throughout  Virginia 
on  the  first  Saturday  of  every  Sep- 
tember, a  day  when  thousands  of  the 
camo-clad  gather  at  farms,  fields  and 
wildlife  management  areas  to  enjoy  a 
dove  hunting  tradition  dating  back 
generations. 

This  camaraderie  and  the  easy 
way  that  a  fall  dove  shoot  connects 
the  past  with  the  future  are  keys  to  its 
popularity.  Plus,  bagging  a  few  of  the 
exceptionally  tasty  game  birds  helps 
set  the  stage  for  some  post-hunt  feast- 
ing that  can  be  beyond  comparison. 

20 


There's  nothing  like  shooting  a  round  at  challenging  targets  launched  from  trap  throwers  to 
ready  a  hunter's  eye. 


The  early  afternoon  provides  some  impromptu  trap  shooting  opportunities  for  hunters  at  a 
Louisa  County  hunt. 

VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


I 


'ate  rood,  ramilq  and  Triend 


5 


Chris  Riley  brings  his  children  Hannah,  left,  and  Dylan,  and  their  retriever  Rex,  from  North  Carolina  to  Louisa  County  each  fall  to  renew 
friendships  and  enjoy  an  afternoon  of  dove  hunting. 


Jim  Wynn  places  foam  dove  decoys  on  the 
limbs  of  a  cedar. 

AUGUST   2008 


Hunting  magazines  and  Internet 
journals  are  full  of  tips  on  how  to 
hunt  doves.  But  joining  participants 
at  two  different  doves  shoots  colors 
in  more  of  the  "why  we  hunt"  pic- 
ture. 

ramilu  &  rriends 

Conservation-minded  brothers 
Bobby  and  Lanny  Woolfolk  of  Louisa 
have  staged  a  small-scale  family  and 
friends  affair  for  nearly  30  years. 
Hunters  converge  from  throughout 
Virginia  and  as  far  away  as  New  Jer- 
sey and  North  Carolina  to  rekindle 
friendships. 

"The  dove  season  opener  is  al- 
ways a  good  time,  a  chance  for  every- 
body to  get  together  and  see  what 
everybody  else  has  been  doing  all 
year/'  says  Keith  Hamm  of  Fauquier 


County,  who  has  hunted  with  the 
Woolfolks  since  1981. 

Location  counts  around  a  dove 
field.  Among  the  first  orders  of  busi- 
ness upon  arriving  is  to  stake  out 
your  position.  Protocol  favors  the 
veterans.  Holding  claim  on  a  favored 
hotspot  is  sort  of  like  holding  a  Fen- 
way Park  season  ticket  for  the  Boston 
Red  Sox;  it's  yours  until  you  give  it  up 
or  die,  at  which  time  it's  bequeathed 
to  a  loved  one  or  a  favored  hunting 
buddy. 

Hamm  pointed  to  an  old  walnut 
tree  a  few  yards  off  the  crest  of  the 
small  hill,  the  station  that  has  become 
known  as  "his  spot."  The  tree  affords 
a  commanding  view  of  the  river  bot- 
tom land.  Birds  seem  to  use  the  tree  as 
a  navigational  aid  or  staging  roost  en- 
route  to  tasty  pickings  in  the  fields. 


21 


Puppies  can  get  in  on  the  dove  hunting 
action.  Honey  retrieves  a  dove  for  Bob 
Gregory. 

Jim  Wynn  of  Virginia  Beach  se- 
lected a  spot  between  Hamm  and  the 
cut  cornfield  cow  pasture  below. 
Wynn  loaded  up  a  dead  cedar  tree 
with  dove  decoys,  hoping  to  entice 
birds  within  range. 

Down  in  a  corner  of  the  pasture, 
a  motorized  dove  decoy  with  spin- 
ning wings  mesmerized  several 
cows.  The  bovines  dipped  their 
heads  and  stared  with  motionless  cu- 
riosity taken  aback  by  seemingly  fly- 
ing birds  that  never  landed. 

Shooting  opportunities  were  a 
little  slow  early  on,  as  may  be  expect- 
ed on  most  dove  hunts,  but  by  late  af- 
ternoon birds  were  winging  their 
way  to  the  field  to  join  cows  and 
calves  in  dining  on  what  remained 
from  the  late  summer  harvest.  Many 
of  the  kids  scattered  around  the  field 
with  adults  had  been  coming  to  the 
hunt  since  they  were  old  enough  to 
participate;  many  of  the  dogs  prac- 
ticed their  first  retrieves  as  puppies 
seeking  out  downed  doves. 

Bob  Gregory,  a  Virginia  native 
now  living  in  New  Jersey,  is  another 
family  friend  who  wouldn't  miss  the 
annual  hunt.  He  brings  his  son  Dillon 
and  their  2-year-old  yellow  Lab, 
Honey. 

Chris  Riley,  of  Hurdle  Mills, 
N.C.,  sat  in  an  overgrown  hilltop  cor- 
ral with  his  children  Dylan,  9,  and 
Hannah,  12,  and  the  family's  2-year- 
old  Labrador  retriever.  Rex. 


Sonya  Pusey  loads  her  20  gauge  Franchi  shotgun  while  daughter  Rachel  sits  alongside. 


"Hannah  trained  him,"  Riley 
said  with  a  nod  toward  the  dog.  "I 
gave  her  a  water  dog  video  and  a 
puppy" 

"I  spoiled  him  rotten,"  Hannah 
grinned  back. 

Riley's  father  was  the  pastor  of  a 
Louisa  County  church  attended  by 
several  of  the  hunters. 

Throughout  the  afternoon,  the 
family's  shotguns  sounded  off  in  tan- 
dem, the  children's  smaller  bore 
firearms  backed  up  by  dad's  12 
gauge.  They  didn't  begin  to  approach 


the  12-bird  limit  each  could  have  col- 
lected, but  that  wasn't  the  point  any- 
way. 

"I  just  like  being  out  here  with  my 
dad  and  my  sister,  being  out  here  hav- 
ing fun,"  Dylan  said. 

Well  fed  and  Watered 

Beyond  the  private  hunts,  numer- 
ous shooting  preserves,  hunt  clubs 
and  other  groups  stage  large-scale 
dove  shoots  over  specially-planted 
fields.  These  popular  hunts  offer  a 
chance  for  the  operators  to  make  a  lit- 


22 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


tie  money  and  give  wingshooters 
without  access  to  private  land  a  hunt- 
ing opportunity. 

Depending  on  the  scope  of  the 
food  and  other  amenities,  such  as 
sporting  clays  or  skeet  shooting, 
prices  for  this  type  of  dove  opener  can 
range  from  about  $80  to  $140  per  per- 
son. Most  operations  can't  guarantee 
a  full  bag  of  birds,  but  they  can  guar- 
antee you  don't  go  away  hungry. 
They  tend  to  fill  up  fast. 

Charity  Hill  Hunting  Preserve  in 
Caroline  County  staged  its  3rd  annu- 
al dove  hunt  the  second  weekend  of 
September.  The  2007  summer 
drought  took  a  toll  on  early  plantings 


warm-up  time  shooting  at  two  "5- 
Stand"  sporting  clay  venues. 

An  early  afternoon  barbecued 
chicken  lunch  with  all  the  trimmings 
preceded  movement  to  the  dove 
fields.  Throughout  the  afternoon, 
staff  brought  cold  water  and  soft 
drinks  to  shooters  staged  around  the 
expansive  property. 

Dave  Howard  of  Spotsylvania 
County,  a  longtime  competitive  shot- 
gunner,  was  at  Charity  Hill  with  his 
grandson,  Mike.  Howard  relishes  the 
annual  dove  opener. 

'Tt  signifies  to  me  the  opening  of 
the  hunting  season.  Plus,  it's  a  great 
social  event.  It's  been  an  annual  tradi- 


This  couple,  with  a  houseful  of 
children,  is  investing  in  an  effort  to 
bring  their  family  up  to  respect  and 
enjoy  the  outdoors.  Personable  8- 
year-old  Rebekah  was  dressed  in 
camouflage  at  both  hunts,  but  she 
was  there  as  an  observer  and  not  a 
shooter.  At  the  Louisa  hunt,  she  bus- 
ied herself  crafting  "paint"  by  grind- 
ing the  green  hulls  covering  walnuts 
between  two  flat  rocks  moistened 
with  splashes  of  water.  Rebekah's  big 
sister,  Rachel,  10,  was  similarly  at- 
tired in  full  upland  bird  hunting  re- 
galia, including  a  Gore-Tex  cap  and 
fine  brush-buster  pants  handed 
down  from  her  older  brother  Caleb, 


ll 


Upland  birds  and  other  wildlife  are  attract- 
ed to  sunflower  fields,  which  provide  food 
in  the  form  of  seeds  and  dense  cover. 

of  sunflowers  and  other  dove  field  at- 
tractants,  so  preserve  owners  Steve 
and  Cindy  Smith  replanted,  resulting 
in  a  slight  delay  to  their  season  open- 
er. 

The  Charity  Hill  event  is  similar 
to  many  of  the  larger,  commercially 
run  dove  shoots,  with  ample  catered 
food  from  Clem's  BBQ  before  and 
after  the  shoot.  Participants  enjoyed  a 
full  buffet  breakfast  and  unlimited 

AUGUST   2008 


tion  for  Little  Mike  and  me  since 
he  was  just  a  few  years  old," 
Howard  said. 

Tradition  Carries  On 

Elsewhere  in  the  Caroline  dove 
field  was  the  Pusey  family  of  Oilville, 
Virginia.  William  "Biff"  Pusey  and 
his  wife,  Sonya,  had  celebrated  their 
19th  wedding  anniversary  to- 
gether on  the  Woolfolk's  Labor 
Day  dove  shoot.  The  four        ^^ 
eldest  of  their  seven  kids     -^ 
accompanied  them  to        '^j^ 
both  hunts.  •• 


Sonya  Pusey  and  daughter  Rebekah  pack  up  and  head  back  to  the  Chanty  Hill  Preserve  lodge  following  an  afternoon  of  dove  hunting. 


just  in  case  she  had  to  locate  birds  in 
the  briar  and  other  scratchy  stuff  that 
can  punctuate  the  edge  of  a  dove 
field. 

Rachel  toted  a  single  shot  .410, 
the  same  shotgun  her  dad  used  when 
his  dad,  William  Pusey,  Sr.,  took  him 
hunting  for  the  first  time  at  age  nine. 
The  firearm  was  in  beautiful,  vintage 
condition.  Rachel  had  passed  her  Vir- 
ginia Hunter  Education  Course  a 
week  earlier,  proudly  stating  she  had 
earned  "an  A-plus,  a  100." 

"It  was  easy.  We  talk  about  a  lot 
of  the  things  that  were  on  the  test  all 
the  time  in  my  family,"  she  said. 
Rachel  got  a  few  shots,  but  didn't  bag 
any  birds. 

A  dove  hunt  can  be  an  easy 
venue  for  youngsters.  It's  not  as  de- 
pendent on  stealth  and  silence  as  still 


or  stand  hunting  for  deer,  and  it's  not 
as  confining  as  duck  hunting  from  a 
blind.  Talking,  laughing  and  the  abil- 
ity to  get  out  and  run  around  a  little, 
with  safety  foremost  in  mind,  make  a 
dove  hunt  a  good  early  experience. 

"I  love  seeing  the  kids  out  here, 
said  Doug  Clements  of  Clem's  BBQ. 
"Steve,  Cindy,  all  of  us  here,  (at  Char- 
ity Hill)  have  worked  at  that  for  sev- 
eral years." 

As  the  aftenioon  sun  began  sink- 
ing low,  the  number  of  birds  winging 
their  way  toward  the  fields  seemed  to 
shrink  in  opposition  to  our  lengthen- 
ing, fading  shadows.  Birds  and  gear 
were  collected  and  the  long  walk 
back  to  the  lodge  commenced. 

Near  the  parking  area,  one 
young  lady  was  stowing  her  shot- 
gun. 


"Are  you  a  good  shot,"  I  asked 
her? 

"Oh  yes.  I  can  shoot  great,"  she 
replied  with  enthusiasm! 

"How  many  shells  does  it  take 
you,  on  average,  to  get  a  dove?"  I  fol- 
lowed up. 

"Don't  know;  haven't  gotten  one 
yet." 

Yes,  dove  shoots  can  be  excellent 
reminders  that  the  success  of  any 
hunting  trip  isn't  always  about  the 
number  of  birds  in  the  bag  at  day's 
end.    n 

Ken  Perrotte  is  a  King  George  County 
resident  and  tlie  outdoors  columnist  for 
the  Fredericksburg  Free  Lance-Star 
nezospapjer.  He  says  the  day  or  two  he 
spends  in  Virginia  dove  fields  are  usually 
among  his  favorite  days  of  the  year. 


24 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


m 


\ 


lourtesy  of  the  Virginia  Museum  of  Natural  History 


A  Central  Virginia 


Nuseu 


?<.oc 


Ickl 


The  Virginia  Museum  of  Natural  History 

operas  its  doors  with  a  fresh  new  look  into 

the  past  and  the  future. 


25 


Virginia's  rich 

geoiogical  and 

biological  heritage 

is  celebrated 

here. 

by  Emily  M.  Grey 

fucked  away  at  the  North  Car- 
olina border  in  the  middle  of 
Virginia  is  a  sometimes  for- 
gotten mini-city.  Named  for  Revolu- 
tionary War  soldier  General  Joseph 
Martin,  Martinsville  in  Henry  Coun- 
ty is  steeped  in  history. 

Archaeological  digs  suggest  that 
Saura  Indians  inhabited  this  area  in 
the  1500s  and  1600s.  In  the  late  1700s, 
George  Washington  visited  forts 
Mayo  and  Trial,  built  to  protect  set- 
tlers from  hostile  tribes.  The  Pennsyl- 
vania Wagon  Road,  following  the  old 
Iroquois  Indian  War  Trail,  coursed 
through  the  county  named  after  for- 
mer resident  and  Virginia  governor 
Patrick  Henry. 

During  the  late  1800s  and  early 

26 


1900s,  the  region's  tobacco  industry 
flourished.  Factories  made  popular 
chewing  tobacco  plugs.  Eventlially, 
this  industry  gave  way  to  furniture 
plants  and  textile  mills.  Today,  tobac- 
co remains  a  chief  agricultural  crop. 

Instrumental  to  economic 
growth  were  The  Norfolk  &  Western 
and  Danville  &  Western  railroads, 
which  tracked  through  the  heart  of 
town.  In  the  early  1900s,  "The  Na- 
tional Highway"  between  New  York 
City  and  Jacksonville,  Florida,  also 
passed  through  Martinsville's  center. 
This  project  was  part  of  Glidden 
Tours'  cross-country  automobile 
trips,  which  proved  that  such  vehi- 
cles could  be  dependable. 

Today,  Martinsville  and  sur- 
rounding Henry  County  are  nurtur- 
ing their  educational  and  tourism  re- 
sources. One  priority  is  establish- 
ment of  a  four-year  college  in  the 
county. 

Virginia  IVIuseum  of 
Natural  History 

An  outstanding  gem  of  learning 
is  the  Virginia  Museum  of  Natural 


Top:  The  sight  of  drying  tobacco  leaves 
is  still  common  in  Henry  County. 
Above:  This  covered  bridge  just  outside 
of  Martinsville  is  a  familiar  landmark. 

History  (VMNH).  This  $28  million 
resource  officially  opened  March  31, 
2007,  coincident  with  America's 
400th  anniversary  founding  of 
Jamestown.  Scaffolding  used  to  erect 
the  Statue  of  Liberty  helped  secure 
tlie  89,127-square-foot  interior. 

Nearly  25  years  ago,  a  group  of 
citizens  and  scholars  formed  the 
Boaz  Foundation,  the  origin  of  the 

VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


t 


'^^^l!*. 


Above:  The  "How  Nature  Works"  gallery  helps  visitors  understand  the  magnificent 
forces  and  processes  that  have  helped  create  the  world  today.  Below:  Dinosaur 
models  remain  a  big  hit  at  the  museum. 


once  private  VMNH.  In  1988,  A.  L.  Philpott  procured 
state  agency  status  for  the  entity,  which  remains  under 
supervision  of  the  Secretary  of  Natural  Resources. 

An  affiliate  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  VMNH  is 
accredited  by  the  American  Association  of  Museums  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Association  of  Science-Tech- 
nology Centers  and  the  Virginia  Association  of     ^"^ 
Museums. 

The  new  museum  features  many  exhibits  repre- 
senting Virginia's  rich  geological  and  biological  heritage. 
This  walk-though,  hands-on  facility  aims  to  offer  an  un- 
paralleled experience.  With  advance  notice,  staff  pro- 
vides specialized  interpretation  for  visitors  with  disabili- 
ties. A  manual  wheelchair  is  available  on  a  first-come 
basis. 

The  state  facility  hopes  to  boost  the  local  economy 
and  become  a  prime  tourist  destination.  Its  mission  is 
"to  interpret  Virginia's  natural  heritage  within  a  glob- 
al context"  in  ways  that  people  can  understand.  Icon- 
ics demonstrate  different  animals  playing  a  similar 
role  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  For  example,  the  preda- 
tor-prey relationship  is  illustrated  by  a  tiger  devouring 
an  axis  deer.  Paralleling  this  phenomenon  is  a  giant 
water  bug  in  Virginia  eating  minnows  and  tadpoles. 

"Uncovering  Virginia"  examines  the  state's  ancient 
natural  history  through  animation  and  video.  Six  re-cre- 
ated digs  depict  scientific  finds. 

AUGUST   2008 


impart  to  tens  of  thousands  of  stu- 
dents. Virginia  and  North  Carolina 
SOL-ready  programs  are  implement- 
ed here. 

There  is  also  a  teacher  resource 
center,  two  classrooms,  and  a  state-of- 
the-art  distance  learning  lab.  Out- 
reach education  is  set  to  expand 
across  the  state. 

The  new  facility  will  allow  ade- 
quate storage  space  for  multitudinous 
insect  collections.  At  some  point, 
there  will  likely  be  demonstrations  of 
these  amazing  invertebrates. 

Approximately  200  millipede 
species  are  recorded  in  Virginia.  Se- 


The  "Documenting  Diversity" 
exhibit  gives  visitors  a  rare  glimpse 
at  how  a  natural  history  museum 
works.  Approximately  22  million 
storage  items  such  as  animal  skulls, 
shells,  insects,  and  minerals  are 
clearly  visible. 

"We  are  looking  to  get  our  mes- 
sage out  to  Virginians  in  general," 
says  Dr.  Nick  Fraser,  VMNH  Direc- 
tor of  Research  and  Collections  and 
Curator  of  Vertebrate  Paleontology. 
"We  are  the  natural  depository  for  all 
natural  history  collections  for  the 
Commonwealth." 

On  display  for  the  first  time  in 
the  United  States  from  January 
through  May,  2007,  were  dinosaur 
fossils  from  China.  Dr.  Fraser  and 
other  VMNH  staff  are  collaborating 
with  China  scientists  to  discover 
why  their  nation's  Lioning  Province 
is  similar  to  our  Solite  Quarry  in  Pitt- 
sylvania County.  A  National  Geo- 
graphic grant  allows  these  re- 
searchers to  compare  the  locations 
and  life  forms  from  225  million  years 
ago  when  all  continents  were  joined. 

"The  Solite  Quarry  is  the  most 
important  place  in  the  world  for  Tri- 
assic  insects,"  Fraser  explains.  "The 
rocks  they  came  from  preserve  an 
entire  ecosystem  of  salamanders, 
plants,  dinosaurs,  lake  fish,  and  a 
whole  array  of  life  found  in  this  area 
220  million  years  ago." 

VMNH  is  not  just  about  viewing 
its  creatively  presented  scientific  ex- 


Through  its  varied  education  programs,  tlie  museum  gets  l<ids  excited  about 
rich  natural  history.  


hibits.  Considerable  research,  collect- 
ing and  educational  projects  also 
comprise  this  resource-rich  entity. 
Field  guides  and  scientific  literature 
stem  from  collections  and  labeling  at 
VMNH  and  other  such  museums. 
Besides  her  job  as  the  museum's  Cu- 
rator of  Mammalogy,  Dr.  Nancy 
Moncrief  works  closely  with 
nongame  wildlife  biologists  to  iden- 
tify specimens.  She  also  enjoys  inter- 
acting with  scouts  and  students  from 
middle  school  through  college.  "Ed- 
ucating teachers  is  a  very  important 
concept,"  says  Dr.  Moncrief.  "The 
mulHplier  effect  is  veiy  effective." 

She  explains  that  at  the  Virginia 
Science  Institute  each  summer,  teach- 
ers who  are  reticent  about  instructing 
science  glean  sufficient  knowledge  to 


Dr  Nancy  Moncnef  categoiizes  squirrels 
and  other  mammals. 


28 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


Dr.  Nick  Fraser  is  VMNH  Director  of 
Research  and  Collections  and  Curator  of 
Vertebrate  Paleontology. 


Dr.  Richard  Hoffman  is  Curator  of  Recent 
Invertebrates  at  VMNH  and  a  world  expert 
on  millipedes. 

cretive,  hidden  and  comparable  to 
tropical  termites,  these  leaf  eaters 
help  recycle  a  forest. 

"Virginia  has  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting insect  biodiversities  in 
North  America  and  one  of  the  least 
known,"  says  Dr.  Richard  Hoffman, 
Curator  of  Recent  Invertebrates  and 
world  expert  on  millipedes.  "We've 
been  so  history  obsessed  we've  neg- 
lected natural  history  for  centuries. 

"Insects  make  the  world  go 
round.  They  impact  us  in  positive 
and  negative  ways.  The  more  we 
know  about  them  the  better  able  we 
are  to  manage  them." 

"Thomas  Jefferson  was  called  the 
first  paleontologist  of  Virginia,"  says 
Dr.  Fraser.  "We  need  to  go  back  and 


invigorate  his  visions.  It  is  amazing 
that  this  state  is  one  of  the  last  ones  to 
develop  its  unique  natural  history.  We 
are  making  great  strides  catching  up." 

VMNH  will  continue  to  expand 
and  add  new  programs.  Field  trips, 
natural  history  retreats,  and  summer 
camps  welcome  all  ages  to  learn  on- 
site  about  the  nature  and  rocks  of  Vir- 
ginia. 

Next  month,  the  museum  will  host 
the  annual  meeting  of  environmental 
educators  from  across  the  state.  Sever- 
al hundred  teachers — who  impact 
thousands  of  public  school  children — 
are  anticipated.  Visit  the  Virginia  Nat- 
urally Web  site  at  ww^w. vanaturally.org 
for  details  of  the  meeting,  slated  for 
September  17-18. 

Citizens  of  the  Commonwealth 
are  invited  to  volunteer  and  partici- 
pate in  educational  programs.  Fraser 
predicts  that  this  new  state  museum 
will  create  a  "potentially  fantastic  im- 
petus for  economic  development"  in 
the  area. 

For  over  150  years,  residents  of 
Martinsville  and  the  rest  of  Henry 
County  have  witnessed  booms  and 
bombs.  Above  all  else,  these  resilient 
people  continue  to  adapt  to  change. 
They  and  the  new  community-en- 
riched museum  hope  to  make  a  benefi- 
cial, lasting  impression  upon  other  Vir- 
ginians and  out-of-state  visitors.    D 

Emily  Grey  is  a  naturalist,  outdoor  writer, 
plwtojournalisi,  and  attorney  from  Vir- 
ginia's Eastern  Shore.  She  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Virginia  Outdoor  Writers  Association. 

Contact  Information 

Virginia  Museum  Natural  History 

21  Starling  Ave. 

Martinsville,  VA  24112 

276-634-4141 

www.vmnh.net 

VMNH's  new  navigationally-friendly 

Web  site  presents  more  multimedia 

graphics  and  information. 

Hours:  Mon.  -  Sat.,  9  A.M.  -  5:30  RM. 
Sun.,  Noon- 5:30 RM. 
(Closed  New  Year's  Day,  Thanksgiving, 
and  Christmas) 

Admission:  Adults,  $7 

Seiiiors  &  college  stvidents,  $6 

Youth  3  to  18,  $5 

Members  and  children  under  3,  Free 

AAA  /  AARP  discounts 


The  Clubhouse  Resort  B&B  is  still  a  coveted 
retreat  for  the  hunter  and  angler.  Birders 
and  cyclists  enjoy  the  grounds  too. 


Other 
Area  Attractions 

Outdoor  enthusiasts  in  Henry 
County  can  watch  wiLdhfe,  camp,  or 
look  for  tiny  unique  crucibles  called 
"fairystones"  at  Fairy  Stone  State  Park. 
Birdwatchers  and  anglers  will  also 
enjoy  exploring  the  Martinsville  Im- 
poundment Reservoir  and  Philpott 
Reservoir. 

At  the  historical  Clubhouse  Resort 
B&B,  initially  constructed  by  Marshall 
Field,  guests  can  hike,  cycle,  or  experi- 
ence world-class  brown  trout  fishing 
on  the  Smith  River.  Watching  deer  and 
songbirds  at  birdbaths  and  feeders 
while  soaking  in  a  hot  tub  or  from  the 
lodge's  many  windows  is  a  bonus.  Sev- 
eral miles  away,  Charles  Aaron's  gor- 
geous covered  bridge,  a  reminder  of 
yesteryears,  overlooks  a  golf  course. 


AUGUST   2008 


29 


Journal 


2008  Outdoor 
Calendar  of  Events 

Unless  otherwise  noted,  for  more  infor- 
mation go  to  the  "Upcoming  Events"  page 
on  the  Department's  Web  site  at 
www.HuntFishVA.com. 

August  5:  Flat  Out  Catfishing  Work- 
shop, James  River,  Richmond. 

August  8-10:  Virginia  Outdoor  Sports- 
man  Show,  The  Showplace,  Rich- 
mond. For  more  information  call  804- 
748-7520  or  visit  www.sportsman- 
show.com. 

August  22-24:  Mother-Daughter  Out- 
doors, Holiday  Lake  4-H  Educational 
Center,  Appomattox.  For  females  9 
years  of  age  and  above. 

September  20:  Fly  Fishing  Workshop, 
Riven  Rock  Park,  Harrisonburg. 

October  18:  Family  Fishing  Workshop, 
Bear  Creek  Lake  State  Park,  Cumber- 
land.   D 


by  Beth  Hester 

Upriver  and  Dozinistreani:  The  Best  Fh/- 
Fishhig  and  Angling  Adventures  from 
the  New  York  Times 
edited  by  Stephen  Sautner 
2007  Harmony  Books 
ISBN:  978-0-307-38102-6 
Hardcover  with  line  drawings 
$23.00 

"Fishing  is  )wt  an  escape  from  life,  but 
often  a  deeper  immersion  into  it. " 

Harry  Middlettm 


The  literary  contributions  of  an- 
gler-authors, both  famous  and  infa- 
mous, have  graced  the  popular  'Out- 
doors' column  of  the  New  York  Times 
for  many  years,  their  piscatorial  me- 
anderings  a  refreshing  diversion 
from  sober  stock  market  charts  and 
society  weddings.  These  true  stories 
and  tall  tales  are  companionable  re- 
minders of  threshold  moments  spent 
in  places  where  the  worlds  of  nature 
and  conscious  activity,  specifically 
sport,  merge. 

Upriver  and  Doxvnstream  gathers 
70  of  these  columns  in  one  handsome 
volume,  featuring  classic  prose-styl- 
ists like  Nick  Lyons,  Peter  Kaminsky, 
Ernest  Schweibert,  Patricia  Leigh 
Brown,  Robert  H.  Boyle,  and  Thomas 
McGuane.  It  is  precisely  the  book  to 
grab  for  late  summer  evening,  bare- 
foot-in-the-hammock-style  day- 
dreaming. 

Nick  Lyons  watches  in  awe  as 
gargantuan  striped  bass  gorge  on 
sand  eels  in  the  waters  off  Ama- 
gansett,  powerless  to  take  advantage 
of  this  bizarre  display;  he'd  left  liis 
tackle  and  Lou  Tabory  eel  imitations 
in  the  closet  of  his  New  York  City 
apartment. 

Stephen  Sautner  plies  the 
Delaware  River  for  trout,  surrender- 
ing the  big  one  when  a  loop  of  fly  line 
catches  on  his  reel,  and  the  leader 
gives  way  with  a  sickening  snap. 

These  all-season  adventures  take 
place  in  fresh  and  salt  waters,  from 
small  ponds  to  the  Florida  Ever- 
glades, from  Iceland,  post-Soviet 
Russia  and  the  Amazon,  to  the  hum- 
ble Hudson  River  piers.  The  pieces 
are  awash  in  sensory  delight;  the 
sights,  sounds  and  scents  of  fishing 
grounded  in  the  material  world. . .  yet 
so  distant  from  it.    H 


Ttie  State  Record  Fish  Committee  of  ttie 
Virginia  Department  of  Game  and  Inland 
Fisheries  has,  for  the  first  time,  certified  a 
state  record  freshwater  drum.  This  is  one  of 
the  few  species  in  the  drum  family  that  live 
in  fresh  water  and  the  only  one  found  in 
North  America.  It  was  added  to  the  state 
record  fish  program  in  2007,  and  this  is  the 
first  application  that  met  the  minimum 
qualifi/ing  weight  of  8  pounds.  On  May  17th 
of  this  year,  Mr.  Timothy  Davidson  of 
Stovall,  North  Carolina  caught  his  15- 
pound,  2-ounce  drum  in  the  Virginia  portion 
of  the  Grassy  Creek  arm  of  Kerr  Resen^oir 
(a bo  known  as  Buggs  Island  Lake).  In 
Virginia,  this  species  is  only  native  to  the 
Tennessee  drainage,  and  it  is  unknown  how 
they  became  established  in  Kerr  Reservoir. 
Mr.  Davidson  was  bass  fishing  with  a  green 
Zoom  worm  when  the  drum  hit.  It  took  him 
about  ten  minutes  to  land  the  fish,  which 
he  expected  to  be  a  30  to  40-pound  catfish 
because  it  was  pulling  so  hard.  He  said  that 
he'd  caught  drum  there  before,  but  none 
bigger  than  a  couple  of  pounds.  The  fish 
was  31.5  inches  long  and  had  a  girth  of 
21.25  inches. 


30 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


VOWA  Youth  Essay  Contest 

Congratulations  to  Madison 
Shaw  for  her  third-place  entry  in  the 
annual  youth  writing  contest  spon- 
sored by  the  Virginia  Outdoor  Writ- 
ers Association.  Madison  is  a  10th 
grade  student  at  Ocean  Lakes  High 
School  in  Virginia  Beach. 

"Nature  Shock" 

My  most  memorable  nature  ex- 
perience was  more  than  a  trip,  more 
than  a  vacation,  and  more  than  a  day 
out;  it  was  an  entire  move  to  Ten- 
nessee. I  had  to  move  to  Tennessee  to 
live  with  my  grandparents  when 
both  of  my  parents  were  deployed  to 
Iraq.  I  am  used  to  moving  a  lot  be- 
cause I'm  a  Navy  brat,  but  this  was  a 
whole  new  experience.  I  usually 
move  to  a  city  or  military  housing  on 
a  base,  but  my  grandparents'  house 
was  out  in  the  middle  of  nowhere.  I 
was  not  very  happy  about  this  at  first. 
Little  did  I  know,  this  would  be  one  of 
the  best  places  that  I  had  ever  lived. 

It  took  me  a  while  to  notice  that  I 
was  living  in  the  middle  of  paradise. 
I  could  go  fishing,  hiking,  exploring 
and  swimming  any  time  I  liked.  The 
first  place  that  I  noticed  was  the  pond 
across  the  street.  I  already  knew  that  I 
loved  going  over  there  to  throw  the 
stick  in  the  water  for  the  dog  to  chase, 
but  the  first  time  my  grandfather 
took  me  over  there  to  fish  I  realized 
that  this  pond  had  the  best  fishing.  I 
could  go  over  there  every  day  and 
catch  at  least  10  fish.  That  became  a 
regular  activity  for  me. 

One  thing  that  I  really  wanted  to 
do  was  go  exploring  in  the  acres  of 
forest  that  surrounded  my  grandpar- 
ents' house.  The  first  time  that  I  went 
exploring  in  the  woods,  it  took  me  3 
hours  to  come  home  because  it  was 
just  so  fun.  I  never  realized  what  kind 
of  natural  wonders  you  can  find  just 
walking  around.  I  found  streams  that 
I  could  swim  in,  small  caves,  deer, 
and  abandoned  houses.  The  aban- 
doned houses  were  some  of  the 
coolest  things,  because  I  found  out 
that  each  of  them  came  with  their 
own  unique  story. 


The  best  thing  that  I  came  upon 
in  my  explorations  was  a  pond  hid- 
den in  a  circle  of  trees.  At  first,  it  just 
looked  like  a  nasty  pond  overgrown 
with  grass  and  thorns.  As  soon  as  I 
got  only  five  feet  away  from  the 
pond,  I  heard  about  20  frogs  jump 
into  the  water.  Tons  of  frogs  contin- 
ued to  jump  into  the  water  as  I  got 
closer.  It  amazed  me.  Now  you  may 
think,  "What's  so  great  about  a  bunch 
or  frogs  and  a  pond?"  It's  not  just 
about  the  pond  or  the  frogs;  it  was  the 
personal  connection  that  I  would 
gain  with  this  pond  over  just  a  matter 
of  weeks.  I  first  had  to  name  the  pond 
so  that  I  wouldn't  have  to  say  "that 
pond"  every  time  I  talked  about  it,  so 
I  decided  to  call  the  pond  "Hop  Frog 
Pond."  I  thought  the  name  really  fit.  I 
made  a  little  walkway  into  the  pond 
and  made  a  sign  to  go  right  next  to 
the  path.  This  was  my  place  to  go  to 
relieve  stress,  to  have  some  quiet,  or 
to  just  go  see  all  the  frogs. 

After  all  of  these  discoveries,  I 
didn't  think  it  could  get  any  better. 
That  was,  until  I  met  Janie.  She  was  a 
lady  who  took  care  of  the  farm  across 
the  street.  I  gained  a  friendship  with 
her  very  fast.  She  took  me  with  her 
when  she  had  to  spray  anthills,  check 
the  cows,  and  feed  the  horses.  I  loved 
working  on  the  farm  with  her  be- 
cause I  got  to  be  close  to  the  animals 
and  drive  the  Gator. 

Then,  after  a  while  of  getting  all 
that  hands-on  experience,  she  let  me 
take  a  big  leap.  She  wanted  me  to 
help  herd  cows.  At  first  it  didn't 
sound  like  fun,  but  after  that  first  time 
I  couldn't  wait  until  we  had  to  do  it 
again.  The  adrenaline  from  having  to 
keep  the  cows  in  certain  boundaries 
and  just  tlie  fact  that  it  was  a  danger- 
ous job  that  I  was  getting  to  help  with 
made  me  fall  in  love  with  herding. 

This  move  and  experience  was 
exactly  the  adventure  that  I  had  al- 
ways wished  for.  The  fact  that  I  didn't 
see  it  coming  and  I  discovered  it  on 
my  own  made  it  even  better.  I  found 
out  that  it  only  takes  a  little  looking  to 
find  such  adventure  and  wonders  in 
nature,  and  that  it  may  be  right  under 
your  nose.    D 


Three-year-old  Lily  Beverley  demon- 
strates that  fish  are,  in  fact,  hold-able. 
Here,  she  proudly  displays  one  of  the  four 
bream  she  caught  this  day  in  a  private  pond 
in  Fluvanna. 

According  to  her  dad,  Scott  Beverley, 
Lily  focused  on  playing  with  the  worms  and 
crickets  during  their  first  few  fishing  adven- 
tures. Since  then,  she  has  honed  her  cast- 
ing and  rod-holding  skills,  in  order  to  be 
more  like  her  older  siblings. 

Scott  values  the  family  benefits  of 
time  spent  fishing  together,  adding,  "The 
expression  on  her  face  each  time  the  bobber 
goes  down  is  worth  every  trip!" 


-^iJumi- 


"Honey,  did  you  remember  to 
renew  your  fishing  license? 


AUGUST   2008 


31 


Subscribe  to  the  NEW 


For  a  free  email  subscription,  visit  our 

Web  site  at  www.HuntFishVA.com. 
Click  on  the  Outdoor  Report  link  and 
simply  fill  in  the  required  information. 


Commonwealth  of  Virginia 

Department  of  Game  and  Inland  Fisheries 
LIFETIME 


Lifetime  Licenses 

Open  the  door  to  a  lifetime  of  enjoyment 

in  the  great  outdoors  of  Virginia  with  a 

lifetime  freshwater  fishing,  hunting 

or  trout  license! 

it's  an  investment  that  keeps  on  giving. 

For  more  information  visit: 

httpy/www.HuntFishVA.com/forms/ 
lifetimejicenses/instructions.html 

or  call! -(866)  721-6911 


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II  hunters  (whether  licensed  or  exempt  from  being  licensed)  who  plan  to 
hunt  doves,  waterfowl,  rails,  woodcock,  snipe,  coots,  gallinules  or 
moorhens  in  Virginia  must  be  registered  with  the  Virginia  Harvest  Informa- 
tion Program  (HIP).  HIP  is  required  each  year  and  a  new  registration  number 
is  needed  for  the  2008-2009  hunting  season.  To  obtain  a  new  HIP  number  mi- 
gratory game  bird  hunters  can  register  online  at  www.VAHIP.com  or  call  I- 
888-788-9772. 

In  addition.Virginia  waterfowl  hunters  must  obtain  a  Federal  Duck  Stamp 
and  the  Virginia  Migratory  Waterfowl  Conservation  Stamp  to  hunt  water- 
fowl inVirginia.  The  annual  Migratory  Waterfowl  Conservation  Stamp  can  be 
purchased  for  a  fee  of  $  1 0.00  (resident  or  non-resident)  fromVDGIF  license 
agents  or  clerks  who  sell  Virginia  hunting  licenses  or  from  the  Department's 
Web  site.  To  request  collector  stamps  and  prints,  contact  Mike  Hinton  at 
(540)  35 1  -0564  or  by  e-mail  at  ducks@hintons.org. 


Fishing  Olympics 

The  6th  annual  Trout  Fishing  Olympics,  held  in  early  May  on  Elk  Creek  in  Grayson 
County,  was  another  resounding  success.  Dn  and  Mrs.  Sidney  B.  Harvey  thank  the  many 
volunteers  and  community  leaders  who  contributed  personal  time  and  energy  to  support 
this  meaningful  event.  Close  to  70  speadl  needs  participants  were  assisted  by  adult  com- 
panions and  volunteers,  including  fisheries  and  law  enforcement  staff  with  the  DGIF. 


32 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  wwwHuntFishVA.com 


by  Lynda  Richardson 


Spare  Your  Shoulders  and  Get  a  Beach  Roily! 


As  we  get  older,  our  poor  over-worked 
shoulders  and  backs  need  a  break.  The 
"BEACH  ROLLY"  can  carry  loads  of  gear  over 
some  pretty  tough  terrain,  but  be  sure  to 
secure  it  first!  ^Lynda  Richardson 


/first  thought  about  getting  a 
llama.  They  seemed  pretty  quiet 
and  were  already  Icnown  for  being 
very  handy  at  carrying  gear  along 
trails.  The  only  problem  was  I  just 
didn't  think  I  could  find  one  small 
enough  to  fit  in  my  car... unless  I 
added  a  sunroof.  My  next  thought 
was  a  miniature  horse.  I  have  always 
wanted  a  horse!  If  1  could  get  one  just 
big  enough  that  I  could  ride  it  too, 
that  would  be  even  better.  But  again, 
besides  having  to  feed,  water,  house 
and  clean  up  after  it,  my  biggest  chal- 
lenge was  getting  it  to  fit  in  the  car. 
None  of  these  "living  equipment  trol- 
ley" ideas  was  working  out. 

Trying  to  figure  out  how  to  carry 
heavy  camera  equipment  into  the 
field  can  be  quite  a  challenge.  For 


over  20  years  I  have  carried  gear  in 
overstuffed  camera  bags  hanging 
from  my  shoukiers  and  via  large 
camera  backpacks  with  special 
weight-dispersing  hip  belts.  But, 
there  comes  a  point  in  a  long-time 
photographer's  life  when  the  shoul- 
ders and  back  simply  give  up.  It  got 
so  bad  for  me  that  I  didn't  even  want 
to  go  out  shooting,  because  my  cam- 
era bag  was  so  heavy  that  it  gave  me  a 
splitting  headache  within  seconds  of 
picking  it  up. 

So,  I  tried  hiring  assistants  to 
carry  my  gear.  Sometimes  that 
worked  well,  but  there  were  many 
times  when  I  just  couldn't  take  anoth- 
er person  with  me.  I  tried  lightening 
my  equipment  load,  but  whenever  I 
did  that  I  always  needed  what  I'd  left 
behind! 

I  was  getting  desperate.  I  started 
talking  to  other  photographers  and 
looking  through  trade  magazines  for 
an  answer,  and  that's  when  I  discov- 
ered the  "Beach  Roily"!  The  Roily  is 
basically  a  beach  chair  with  wheels. 
Not  only  can  you  carry  154  pounds  of 
gear,  you  can  also  use  it  as  a  chair. 
Sturdy,  inflatable  wheels  allow  you 
to  add  or  release  air  based  on  the  ter- 
rain you  are  covering. 

One  thing  that  really  sold  me  on 
the  Beach  Roily  was  that  it  was  so 
easy  to  transport.  Made  of  tubular, 
non-rusting  aluminum  and  weigh- 
ing just  10  pounds,  the  Roily  folds  up 
to  28  X  21  X  5.5  inches,  an  easy  fit  into 
any  car.  It  sells  for  $169,  with  several 
add-on  options  available. 

The  Beach  Roily  offers  a  great  so- 
lution for  carrying  your  gear.  It  might 
not  be  as  warm  and  fuzzy  as  a  llama 
or  a  miniature  horse,  but  at  least  it 
will  fit  in  the  car!  For  more  informa- 
tion, go  to:  http:/ /www.beachrol- 
lyusa.com.    D 


You  are  invited  to  submit  one  of  your  best 
images  to  "Image  of  the  Month,"  Virginia 
Wildlife  Magazine,  P.O.  Box  11104,  (4010 
West  Broad  Street),  Richmond,  VA,  23230- 
1104.  Send  original  slides,  high-quality 
prints,  or  high-res  jpeg  files  on  disk  and  in- 
clude a  self-addressed,  stamped  envelope 
or  other  shipping  method  for  return.  Also, 
please  include  any  pertinent  information 
regarding  how  and  where  the  image  was 
captured  and  what  camera,  film  and  set- 
tings you  used.  I  hope  to  see  your  image  as 
our  next  "Image  of  tlie  Montli" ! 


tmW^iif'iMlMiMlii 


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Congratulations  go  to  Brenda  Mueller,  of 
Virginia  Beach,  for  her  fabulous  photograph 
of  an  Eastern  fence  lizard  holding  a  caterpil- 
lar in  its  mouth.  Brenda  captured  this  elu- 
sive critter  using  a  Nikon  COOLPIX  P4  digital 
camera.  Way  to  spot  it  Brenda! 


AUGUST   2008 


33 


by  Jim  Crosby 


Meet  SPOT:  A  Satellite  Messenger 


rhe  SPOT  Satellite  Messenger®  is 
a  multi-purpose  tool  that  can  be 
used  as  a  distress  beacon,  as  well  as 
providing  options  to  request  help 
without  a  full-blown  Search  and  Res- 
cue (SAR)  response  (unlike  current 
Personal  Locator  Beacons,  PLB).  It 
can  also  be  used  to  notify  friends, 
family  or  associates  that  you  are  okay 
and  as  a  means  for  them  to  track  your 
real  time  location. 

SPOT,  Inc.  is  a  subsidiary  of 
Globalstar,  the  satellite  phone  system 
provider.  SPOT  was  conceived  by  a 
research  group  at  Globalstar  and  in- 
troduced at  the  2007  Outdoor  Retail- 
er Summer  Market  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
The  unit  uses  a  GPS  receiver  and  a 
Globalstar  satellite  transmitter.  Like 
all  current  406-mliz  Personal  Locator 
Beacons,  all  communications  are  one 
way.  Being  a  multi-purpose  commu- 
nications tool,  it  provides  some  obvi- 
ous potential  advantages  over  a  PLB. 
SPOT  is  not  usable  worldwide  like  a 
PLB,  but  fits  the  bill  for  users  in  and 
around  tlie  continental  U.S. 


SPOT  has  four  simple  functions: 

1)  Alert  9-1-1  notifies  the  emergency 
response  center  of  your  GPS  location; 

2)  Ask  for  HELP  sends  a  request  for 
help  to  friends  and  family;  3)  Check 
In  lets  contacts  know  where  you  are 
and  that  your  are  okay;  4)  Track 
Progress  sends  and  saves  your  real 
time  location  and  allows  contacts  to 
track  your  progress  using  Google 
Maps®. 

Weighing  just  over  7  ounces,  it  is 
currently  listed  by  West  Marine  at 
$149.99  with  a  Basic  Service  Subscrip- 
tion annual  price  of  $99.99  and  an  ad- 
ditional Tracking  Service  Subscrip- 
tion annual  price  of  $49.99.  SPOT  is 
powered  by  two,  lithium  AA-cells 
that  are  accessed  via  a  removable  bat- 
tery cover  on  the  back  side.  Global- 
star  claims  that  fully  charged  batter- 
ies power  the  SPOT  unit  in  the 
"Power  On"  mode  for  one  year.  In 
the  "9-1-1  Alert"  mode  it  will  operate 
approximately  seven  days,  transmit- 
tirig  the  alert  every  five  minutes.  In 
the  "SPOT  casting"  tracking  mode, 
transmitting  every  ten  minutes,  they 
claim  it  will  operate  approximately 
14  days.  And  lastly,  in  "Spot-check" 
mode  it  will  transmit  approximately 
1900  messages.  In  an  emergency, 
SPOT  will  operate  on  alkaline  AA 
batteries  but  not  for  as  long  as  the  rec- 
ommended lithium  AA  cells. 

The  device  is  contained  in  an  or- 
ange plastic  case  that  is  approximate- 
ly 4.38  x  2.75  X  1.5  inches.  It  has  black 
mbberized  grips  on  both  sides  with 
raised  ridges.  SPOT  fits  comfortably 
and  securely  in  your  hand,  and  the 
natural  gripping  position  tends  to 
keep  your  hand  away  from  the  an- 
tenna located  under  its  logo.  There  is 
a  slot  for  a  lanyard  and  it  comes  with 
a  belt  clip. 

"Equipped  to  Survive"  at 
www.equipped.org/SPOT  is  a  Web 


site  devoted  to  studying  and  recom- 
mending survival  equipment.  Their 
SPOT  reviewer  states,  "I  tend  to  be 
somewhat  conservative  when  it 
comes  to  lifesaving  devices."  He  con- 
tinues, "If  SPOT  performs  as  prom- 
ised and  it  proves  reliable  and  robust- 
ly constructed,  I  think  it  might  pro- 
vide a  viable  alternative  to  a  more  ex- 
pensive PLB  for  many  users.  Over 
the  short  term,  it  will  save  some 
money,  but  whether  it's  a  good  long- 
term  investment  is  another  issue. 
However,  the  lower  initial  outlay  wiU 
definitely  encourage  more  folks  to 
buy  and  carry  one  of  these  on  their 
adventures,  and  all  other  things 
being  equal,  statistics  suggest  that 
will  save  lives ..." 

The  SPOT  company  Web  site  at 
www.findmeSPOT.com  lists  many 
examples  of  lives  saved  by  the  use  of 
the  SPOT  Satellite  Messenger®.    D 

Please  Note:  I  always  welcome  feed- 
back, input  and  /or  suggestions  from 
readers.  My  email  address  is:  jecros- 
by@comcast.net . 


34 


VIRGINIA  WILDLIFE  ♦  www.HuntFishVA.com 


Out 


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4^ 


2007  Limited  Edition 

Virginia  l/\//7c///7e  Col  lector's  Knife 

Our  2007  Collector's  knife  has  been  customized  by  Buck  Knives.  This  classic 
model  1 10  folding  knife  is  8  1/2"  long  when  fully  opened  and  has  a  distinc- 
tive, natural  woodgrain  handle  with  gold  lettering.  Each  knife  is  individually 
serial  numbered  and  has  a  mirror  polished  blade  engraved  with  a  fox.  Our 
custom  knife  comes  in  a  solid  cherry  box  with  a  collage  of  foxes  engraved  on 
the  box  cover. 

Item  #  VW-407  $90.00  each  (plus  $7.25  S&H) 


2006  Virginia  Wildlife  Collector's  Knife 

This  year's  knife  has  been  customized  for  us  by  Buck  Knives.  Each  knife  is  in- 
dividually serial  numbered,  and  comes  with  a  distinctive  rosewood  handle 
and  gold  lettering.  This  year's  knife  also  includes  two  white-tailed  deer 
etched  on  the  blade.  This  custom  knife  not  only  comes  with  a  leather  sheath, 
but  also  a  custom  made  solid,  cherry  box  with  a  decorative  wildlife  scene  en- 
graved on  the  cover. 

Item  #VW-406  $85.00  each  (plus  $7.25  S&H) 


2005  Virginia  Wildlife  Collector's  Knife 

This  year's  knife  has  been  customized  for  us  by  Buck  Knives  and  has  a  cut  out 
blade  of  a  hunter  and  his  dog.  Each  knife  is  individually  serial  numbered  and 
comes  with  a  distinctive  rosewood  handle  and  gold  lettering.  This  custom 
knife  comes  in  a  decorative  solid  cherry  box  with  a  hunting  scene  engraved 
on  the  cover. 

Item  #VW-405  $75.00  each  (plus  $7.25  S&H) 

To  Ordor  Visit  the  Department's  Web  site  at: 

www.HuntFishVA.com  or  call  (804)  367-2569 

Please  allow  3  to  4  weeks  tor  delivery. 


^ 


PPREN . . 

Hunting  License 


tiLejs. 


The  new  apprentice  hunting  license  serves  as  a 
first-timeVirginia  resident  or  nonresident  hunt- 
ing license  and  is  good  for  2  years. 

The  license  holder  must  be  accompanied  and 
directly  supervised  by  a  mentor  over  18  who 
has  on  his  or  her  person  a  validVirginia  hunting 
license. 

The  apprentice  license  does  not  qualify  the 
holder  to  purchase  a  regular  hunting  license, 
nor  exempt  the  holder  from  compliance  with 
Department  regulations.  A  hunter  education 
course  must  be  successfully  completed  to  ob- 
tain a  regular  hunting  license. 

A  bear,  deer,  turkey  license  and  all  applicable 
stamps  or  permits  are  required  in  addition  to 
the  apprentice  license.  ] 

Previous  Virginia  resident  and  nonresident 
hunting  license  holders  may  not  use  an  appren- 
tice  license.  ■I 

To  learn  more  about  the  Virginia  Apprentice 
Hunting  License,  call  (866)  721-691 1  or  log  on 
to  www.HuntFishVA.com. 


The  2009 


i 


Wildlife  Cal 


Is  Now  Available 


It's  once  again  time  to  purchase  a  new 
Virginia  Wildlife  calendar  For  more 
than  20  years  the  Department  of 
Game  and  Inland  Fisheries  has  been 
publishing  one  of  the  most  visually  stunning 
and  informative  wildlife  calendars  in  the 
country. 

The  2009  edition  of  the  Virginia  Wildlife  calen- 
dar highlights  many  of  the  most  sought  after 
game  and  fish  species  in  the  state.  Virginia 
hunters,  anglers,  and  wildlife  enthusiasts  will 
appreciate  the  rich  colors  and  composition  of 
the  1 2  monthly  photo  spreads. 

The  calendar  is  full  of  useful  tidbits  for  the  out- 
doors lover — including  wildlife  behavior  pre- 
ferred fishing  and  hunting  times,  hunting  sea- 
sons, state  fish  records,  and  much  more!  Nat- 
ural history  information  is  provided  for  each 
species  featured. 

Virginia  Wildlife  calendars  make  great  holi- 
day gifts  and  are  still  being  offered  at  the 
bargain  price  of  only  $  !  0  each. 

Quantities  are  limited,  so  order  yours 
now!  Make  your  check  payable  to  'Trea- 
surer of  Virginia"  and  send  to;  Virginia 
WIdlife  Calendar,  PO.  Box  1  1  1 04,  Rich- 
mond, Virginia  23230-1  1 04.  To  pay  by 
VISA  or  MasterCard,  you  can  order  the 
calendar  online  at:  wvwv.HuntFishVA.com 
on  our  secure  site.  Please  allow  4  to  6  weeks 
for  delivery. 


For  magazine  subscriptions,  circulation  problems  and  address  changes,  call  1-800-710-9369 

Twelve  Issues  for  $  12.95,  Two  Years  for  $23.95;  and  Three  Years  for  ONLY  $29.95 

ALL  OTHER  CALLS  to  (804)  367-1000 

Visit  our  Web  site  at  vvww.HuntFishVA.com